A New Start
by Jacob3908
Summary: I stink at summaries. Here is my first fanfic. For anyone who likes Mizore and/or her friends. Rated T for language and violence. From the perspective of my human OC. Takes place after Youkai. I pray that all readers will be patient as the story does take time to build.
1. Chapter 1

Hello all and welcome to A New Start! This fanfic's ma baby so comments and critiques are most welcome!

It will be of use for readers to know that I have chosen to not say character names for at least ten chapters, and that Mizii=Mizore.

I do not own Rosario+Vampire

* * *

The air always felt so good in New York, New York.

I sat on a bench in central park and thought back on the last few years of my life.

I could still remember how stressful senior year of high school had been: brushing past deadlines, keeping up with my 'work' obligations, writing boring essays and applications, lieing to the parents of some very good friends about how they died, and how utterly hopeless I felt at receiving those rejection letters. The thought of coasting through life with no direction or purpose never suited me. So I persevered, and as luck would have it, NYU found me 'worthy'. I felt that if it was another rejection I'd want to just give up and join the army. But I was relieved, I would be attending the same college as my older brother.

School however, was the least of my worries. I had to always lie to my parents about what I did in my free time, the fact that I had a 'job' only quelled their suspicions for the most part.

I truly felt that after what I had been through, a relationship might help some, if at all. And watching a continuous stream of anime and fanfic about couples did not help. But I still did it, cause I was into that stuff. Now that I was in college I felt like I had a chance at a peaceful life. I was determined to use this freedom to find happiness.

Sitting on this same bench all those years ago, I can easily recall that entire day in my head.

After taking an afternoon nap in the park, a distant car horn caused me to stir. I sat up and looked at my watch, it was 5:57.

Deciding to walk most of the way back to my dorm, I started walking down the red and gold leaf path. By the time I was at the entrance of the park, the sun held an orange glow over the city. While taking in the view I thought about the classes that were starting on Monday.

I stopped about a block over when I saw this girl: she had pale skin, short purple hair with black highlights, light blue eyes, was wearing a white sweatshirt with purple sleeves, solid blue jeans, had headphones in her ears, and a sucker in her mouth. I had to do a double take to make sure that she was really there. "Wow, she is really cute." I said to myself.

My first instinct was to keep walking, it would probably be best for her not to know me. However, something my dad always told me kicked in, _be confident_. She was just standing on the side-walk, probably waiting for a taxi, so I started walking in her direction. _If I don't do this now, I know I'll regret it._ I thought.

* * *

If this and the next chapter suck, please forgive me.


	2. Chapter 2

I stopped about six feet away to speak, then she noticed my presence and took out her headphones. "Can I help you?" she said in an unconcerned tone.

It was staggering how cute she was up close, "Hi, my name is Jacob. I was just wondering if I've met you somewhere before. Cause, well, you look a lot like someone I knew." I said, mentally hitting myself for coming up with a such a lame introduction.

She looked confused, "I doubt we've met before, I moved here recently from Japan so I don't know that many people to begin with." she said in the same voice.

"Ah, so your living in the city?" I asked. "Yes, but only until I get my degree. My parents are planning on moving back home." she said, now sounding more attentive.

"Your family likes Japan huh?" I said. _Goddamnit that __was a stupid thing to say. _I thought. "Sure, I guess." she said, now sounding bored.

"So, what are you majoring in?" I asked, desperate to save the conversation. "Philosophy, with a minor in English." she responded normally, "You?" she asked.

I was surprised that she asked me back, "Oh, History and Education." A small smile appeared on her face, "Planning to be a teacher huh? That's neat." I smiled with relief, _At __least she's showing some interest. _I thought.

I decided to be just a little bolder, "Could I say that for someone who just moved from Japan, you speak english really well." I said, trying not to lose my cool.

She smiled at the compliment, "Oh, thank you, english was mandatory at my high school and I guess I took to it very well." she said, with what could have been a very small blush on her face.

A cab pulled up to where we were and she climbed in. "Here's my ride." she said. Before she shut the door I spoke up, "Will I see you tomorrow?" I said, a little worried.

She smiled and said, "Of course. We can meet for coffee at that Starbucks over there at 8am." pointing down the street. I felt relieved, "Sounds great!" I said happily.

Then an obvious thought came to me, "Wait, what's your name?" She looked at me and said with a smile, "Mizii Shira. Bye Jacob."

I smiled as her cab drove out of sight. All the way home I thought to myself what a great name that was.

* * *

Alright, listen up! I received a ton of flak for these first two chapters, so I'm gonna set a few things straight. First of all: yes, I did 'americanize' the story, it takes place in New York because I figured that was the biggest melting pot in the country. Second: I'm sorry if the story is 'OC-centric' but that's because the story's hero is my OC, alot happened in his past that you don't know about yet. Third: Yes, I know that Mizore had an undying devotion to Tsukune, but in my story she had her heart broken so now she feels like giving someone else a chance, I am in fact a supporter of Mizorex  
Tsukune, but this story is about MY character, I like to believe that she'd still be able to find happiness even without him, also you'll find out why she looks different later. Finally: This story has to do with basic character models and personalities, so I'm sorry if I'm not getting every detail up to your expectations. I'm going to continue whether the nay sayers like it or not.


	3. Chapter 3

I was about a block away from my dorm, just thinking about what to say when I'd meet Mizii for coffee tomorrow.

I passed an intersection on the way where there was no one else around, aside from the steady stream of cars. Something came into view that I couldn't help but notice, strangely enough it was a girl with long, blue hair. She appeared to be in a daze and was walking IN THE MIDDLE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC!

Cars appeared to just miss her by inches as they swerved out-of-the-way. I couldn't just let her get run over. Looking back on it the old me would have just called the police; but too much had happened between then and now, so a sense of courage I haven't known in a while took hold.

"Holy shit!" I said yelled. I sped up just after the first lane was clear, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her back to the sidewalk.

The next thing I knew I had tripped on the curb and fell flat on my back, unfortunately my hand was still firmly gripping her arm so  
she had fallen down too.

My eyes were shut from pain in my back, "What the hell were you thinking!? Do you have a death wish!?" I yelled. "I don't know." she said in a sad voice from above me. I then got a very bad feeling about the situation.

When I opened them, she was laying directly on top of me, her *cough* 'well endowed' chest was pressed against mine. She had tired-looking eyes, was wearing a tan sweater vest, a white undershirt with a red bow tie, and vintage wash jeans.

I blushed dark red, and went on a scared rant as I jumped to my feet. "I'msorry! I'msorry! Ididn'tmeantopullyoudownwithme! It'sjustthatI'msureacarwould'vehityouifIhadn'tpulledyouofftheroad!" I said frantically.

I really didn't want this girl to get the wrong impression, like that I was going to ask for something 'obscene' for saving her. "Why did you do that?" she said finally. _Oh no, here it comes._ I thought.

"Again, I'm so sorry I pulled you down. Please don't think I'm a weird pervert or something." I said desperately. "No, I mean, why would you help someone like me. I don't know you." she said.

I could smell alcohol on her breath. "It's probably not my business, but have you been drinking?" I said. I think that would explain her behavior in traffic, but she couldn't have been any older than nineteen.

"Oh, well yeah. I go to a lot of parties so I get drunk sometimes. Have good times to forget bad memories, right?" she was trying to sound cheerful but her fatigue was catching up.

"Sure, I guess. But I pulled you off the street because it was the right thing to do. I've never wanted someone to get hurt on my watch." I said honestly. She seemed offput and deep in thought.

"So, are you going to school here?" I said, looking to change the subject. "No. I couldn't cough up the grades to go somewhere this  
nice, but most of my friends are here so I came anyway. And besides..." she said, now getting to her feet.

"Even if I'm not going to class, there's a ton of fun stuff to do. Me and my mother are living in the city, I hang around campus a lot so maybe we'll see each other again." I was still concerned though, "You sure your alright? Could I call you a ride?"

She shook her head, "Thanks anyway, but I'm alright. I live two blocks over so I can make it from here." she said gesturing around the corner. "Well, stay on the sidewalk this time." I said jokingly.

I held out my hand and said "My name's Jacob." She grabbed my hand and pulled me closer with a surprising amount of strength till my chest was once again pressed against hers and she said "Fun fact Jacob: The last time a guy 'saved'  
me, I fell for him."

I was really taken aback, "I...a...what?" She let go and started walking down the opposite way and turned back a moment. "My  
name's Kuru-" A truck horn blared loudly as she was speaking so I didn't catch the middle part of what she was saying, "-see you again!" she finished.

As she rounded the corner she did a ditsy wink in my direction, at which my insides did a somersault. "God, why out of every moment in life, now do I meet these kinds of girls." I said to myself.

* * *

In case you don't know it yet, that was Kurumu.


	4. Chapter 4

"I swear this day's been a rollercoaster." I said to myself, looking in the bathroom mirror that night.

I pinched my forehead and thought about what had happened; sure, she was cute, but in my opinion Mizii was still cuter. Besides, she wasn't my type. At that thought, I looked at the ceiling and wondered, did I have a type? I guess I was just never into ditsy, party girls. Mizii however was sweet, had a quiet composure, and such a lovely personality. I wouldn't mind being Kuru-something's friend, but who knows at this point.

After taking a shower, I ate the apple I saved in the back of my room's mini fridge. When I finished dressing I noticed my roommate Lee was already sound asleep. Despite how eventful the day had been, I had no wish to share the details with him (he pesters me about anything involving girls).

I always arrived before him since he worked the afternoon shift at a computer store. Of course, most of it was spent in the back room with his female 'tech assistant'.

Once I set the alarm for 7:00 so as not to sleep in, I spent more than half an hour listening to Lee snoring before falling asleep myself.

I had dreamed that I was hearing gunfire and screams, I was accustomed to that. Then I saw something I couldn't identify, whatever it was, said something that sounded as if the wind was speaking. "Your going to lose someone close to you."

I woke up in a cold sweat. It wasn't necessarily a nightmare, but it still made me feel uneasy. The clock read 4:30, so I laid back down and slept suprisingly sound.


	5. Chapter 5

I'd like to ask everyone to be open minded when reading this. I'm sorry if some of this stuff is cliché' but it's just how I write.

* * *

I woke to the alarm playing classic rock and Lee's angry grunts.

I got out of bed to dress while thinking about that dream. It was unsettling how solid and tangible it was compared to any dream I had had before. I was always an extremely open-minded person, so the concept of dreams having real meaning was not so foreign. _Am I really ready to lose someone close to me?_ I thought. I had already lost two friends, but I held back those feelings of frustration to be strong for everyone else. And that dream could have refered to any number of people I knew. Even though I went into seclusion for a while, the reason I left was **because**I cared so much for those I knew. I wanted to be strong enough to protect not just them but anyone I wished. Anyway, I had no clue what would actually happen. How could anyone?

Lee got out of his mid-morning daze long enough to see me speed around the room getting ready. "Whoah man. Where's the fire? Class isn't till tomorrow." he said checking his Megan Fox calendar to see if it was indeed not today.

"I'm...uh, going for coffee." I said, pulling on the combat boots I wore everywhere. "Well, I'm up anyway. How about I join you?" he said while stretching out from a previous afternoon of 'work'.

"No! I...That's alright, I'll bring you back something." _Crap, why did I say that? I never offer to buy him coffee, he _  
_always ends up getting me to pay anyway! Now he's sure to think something's up. _I thought.

He gave me a questioning look, then said "Alright, you know what I like. Just find me at the computer store when your done." while walking into the bathroom.

I gave a sigh of relief, _Maybe for once he __**is**__ being blissfully ignorant._I thought hopefully.

I set off toward Starbucks in good spirits. _This is going to go well._ I repeated over and over in my head.

By the time I reached the glass doors of the coffee seller, my hands had soaked the insides of my pockets with sweat. I walked in and scanned the place for Mizii. I felt a cool hand on my shoulder did a one-eighty. Dressed the same as yesterday, standing one foot away was the girl I was meeting for coffee.

She smiled and said "Hi Jacob, it's good to see that your punctual." I smiled back and rubbed my head, "Well I'd never want to keep a girl waiting." I said. "I appreciate it." she said, walking past me toward the counter.

"So what are you drinking?" I asked. "I'm gonna stick with something cold, like a frappaccino." she said. "Cool. I never liked hot drinks myself, I'll get one too." I said.

We sat at a table in the middle of the room. I was eager to get to know her, so I decided to ask about her life. "So, how are your parents?" I asked. "Their good, they own a chain of sky lodges in Japan and they were thrilled that I got into an American school. So they moved us here till I finish." she said.

I was a little disheartened at the idea. "So your...definitely going back home when school's over?" I asked. "Yeah, I have obligations back there. I really don't wanna go into details." she said looking down at her drink.

"That's okay, I won't pry. I just wanted to get to know you." I said honestly. "That's sweet." she replied with a smile. I blushed a little, "Thank you, Mizii. So...a...I was wondering...if maybe you had a..." I began. Just then a very unwelcome noise came from behind, "Well! What do we have here!" said the voice.

_Only one person I know would do something this rude._ I thought. Lee put two eager hands on my shoulders, "Soooooo Jacob. Just how long have you been hiding this pretty little thing?" he said, helping himself to a chair and my frapp.

I never wanted to punch anyone in my entire life more than I did right then and there. But Mizii was sitting right there, and I didn't want to send the wrong message about myself. So I had to suck it up till later and show that I was mature.

"Uuuugh. Mizii, this is Lee, my roommate. Lee, this is Mizii, my...uh...my..." I was stammering. Should I say 'friend', when I definitely  
wanted us to be more that, or 'girlfriend', when I'm positive it'd make her feel uncomfortable and make me sound pushy.

"Well?" Lee pushed the subject. "I'm his girlfriend." Mizii said.

* * *

Now before you all start sending me hate mail I'd like to ask that you please read the next chapter, it will elaborate somewhat.


	6. Chapter 6

My brain was still trying to process what it was being fed. Mizii said she was my girlfriend.

I felt...happy, but also confused. Could her feelings really have developed this quickly? If so, why? What did she see in me?

Lee was obviously skeptical. "That so? Well as long as I've known Jacob he's never had any luck in the ladies department, unlike yours truly. How come I haven't heard of you?" Lee said. That brought me back to reality. "I'm not obligated to tell you anything!" I said.

"We're in the middle of a date so I would appreciate it if you wouldn't bother us." Mizii said to Lee in a serious voice.

Lee really didn't like getting told off by a girl. "Right, right, I know when I'm not wanted." he said, getting up with my  
frapp in hand.

"Have a fun 'date' kiddies." he said in a mocking tone as he left the scene.

"That guy is an asshole." she said. I rubbed the back of my head, "Yeah, but he was the first friend I made in college. He just happens to also be an asshole." I said with a chuckle.

"So why didn't you hit him?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink. "Huh?" I said, confused.

"I didn't want you to think I was violent or quick-tempered." I admitted. "I know, but he still would have deserved it." she said.

We sat in silence for almost a minute. "So...is this a date?" I asked.

She looked perplexed. "Hm...well, do you think it is?" she asked. I thought about it, "Well, I suppose not. We did just meet yesterday after all. And meeting for coffee is hardly considered a date to begin with." I said.

"Yeah, that's true." she said, leaning back on her chair. "But...I wouldn't put it out of the question." she said with a smile.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?" I said, feeling that I'd be best to learn that early on. "No, not at the moment. But maybe..." she began.

She seemed to smile before saying this, "You could." she finished. "But I thought..." I began.

"That I said that just to get Lee to leave?" she finished. "That's part of it, but if you **wanted** us to be just friends you would have told Lee when he asked, but you hesitated. So I feel like I could give you a shot." she said. "But how..." I said.

"What you really wanted was written all over your face. It was cute." she finished. I could hardly believe my ears.

"Oh, and next time we go for coffee, make sure it's just us." she said, getting up. I was feeling the kind of joy one leaves behind in childhood. Believing the impossible was possible.

* * *

Now for those of you who think this is moving too fast, forgive me. The story does get more depth.

I am sick of getting trolled by close-minded perfectionists. I would like to note that there is no credible reason for this story to be removed.


	7. Chapter 7

For those of you that read my previous update of ch.2 please forgive my temper. This story is important to me, and alot of anonymous reviews were very rude. For those of you that stuck with the story to till now, here is ch.7. Enjoy.

* * *

When we left Starbucks at noon the world had never looked more beautiful. The sky was bluer, the trees were greener, and the people seemed happier.

Something occurred to me as I looked at Mizii walking beside me, _Is it her that I'm going to lose?_ I thought. Sure I cared about her, but was it to the extent of family?

"Something on your mind?" she asked. "Well..." I began. I figured honesty would be preferable.

"I had this dream last night that I'd lose someone close to me. So, maybe I'm worried that if you get close to me...I'll lose you." I confessed. I didn't expect what happened next, she reached over and kissed me on the cheek. "I wouldn't worry about it, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." she said.

I continued to walk with her in good spirits around the general area. "There's something else..." I began. "What?" she said.

"Back there you said That you had a good feeling about me. How do you know that for sure?" I asked. "Hmm. Well, I know you put others before yourself." she said.

"How?" I asked. "Um...Well, remember when I got into that taxi when we first met?" she said. "Yeah, what about it?" I asked.

She seemed to blush at this. "I sort of...got out around the corner...and followed you home. So I saw you help that girl."

I didn't know what to think about that. I suppose...flattered? More or less? "This has been fun Jacob, but I've got to go. I told my parents I'd meet them for lunch, and I don't want you to meet them just yet. They can be a bit um...pushy." she explained.

"Alright, can I meet you for lunch tomorrow? Say...wherever you want? My treat." I said. I had hoped I wasn't sounding clingy or expectant, I really didn't know how often someone was supposed to see their girlfriend.

"Thank you. That sounds great. We can go to that sushi place by your dorm." she said. "Wait. How do you know where...eh,  
never mind." I said.


	8. Chapter 8

I would like to once again thank everyone for bearing with me through this story. Here's chapter 8.

* * *

We parted ways a few blocks from my dorm. I waved goodbye and entered the brick building on the corner.

"Things are looking up." I exclaimed as I walked up the stairs of my building. I was certain Lee was back at the room. Since he didn't have to work on Sunday, he liked to sleep till noon even though he had been up an hour earlier.

I knocked three times, heard the sound of bedsprings from behind the door, and finally it unlocked. Lee opened the door with a grin, "Soooo, how did it g..." my fist cut him off.

After giving him some frozen peas to nurse that well deserved shiner, I sat back in my chair to look at his hateful expression.

"You deserved that." I began, while grabbing a soda."But, I have to thank you. If you hadn't butt in, I doubt we'd have hit it off as well as we did." I explained, tossing him the pop.

He drank it glumly, "Glad I could help at my expense." Lee said sarcastically. He sat there, frozen peas in one hand and soda in the other. I walked over to the window and took in the view, Empire State Building and traffic with people moving to and fro.

"So what'd you think of her?" I asked. "Mizii? Edgy, just like her boyfriend." he hated it when people got the better of him.

"Oh come on, this is the first time I've ever put you in your place. And you'd think she's great too if you'd quit those jackass antics of yours." I said. "You call it antics, I call it having a personality." Lee said.

"Alright man, I'm sorry I punched you. How bout we get some lunch." I said, deciding it'd be best to make up now. Getting a new roommate would be too big of a pain. "Eh, I don't kn...gyros?" he said. He always jumped at the chance to mooch a meal.

"Sure, gyros." I said. "Alriiiight! S'go!" he said, already forgetting his black eye.


	9. Chapter 9

Alright, in this chapter I'll introduce Yukari. Hope you all like.

* * *

Lee left after lunch to go see his 'coworker', so I decided to go to the library. I thought some quiet time and a good book would hit the spot after such an eventful two days.

I was in the classic's section looking for Robin Hood or Gulliver's Travels, when something caught my attention through the shelf. This had to be the third 'out of the blue' occurence this week.

It was a teenage girl, possibly thirteen or fourteen, alone and wearing a pointed hat, a cape, dark leggings, and a short skirt. _It's August. What's someone doing in a get up like that?_ I thought. But like anything else remotely weird, I just accepted it.

She seemed to be having trouble reaching the top shelf, so she was attempting to scale the 8ft bookshelf. I decided to just ignore the outfit and help.

I went to the next aisle and approached her. "Is there something up there I can get for you?" I asked. When she turned I saw that she had short brown hair, and violet eyes.

"I don't need any help from you." she said in a very snippy voice. "Okay, okay. It's just that I don't think that's a safe way to reach for a book." I said.

"Why would I care what you th..." she began. She had lost her footing and was falling backwards off the shelf. I acted fast and caught her in my arms mid fall.

Now this wasn't the same as having a girl fall on top of you in the middle of the sidewalk, so I didn't think to apologize. It took her a moment to process what just happened.

She suddenly became aware that someone of the opposite gender was holding her in their arms, and her cheeks turned red. "G...Get your hands off me!" she yelled, jumping to her feet. "I was just trying stop you from falling." I said, ignoring her hostility.

"Well I didn't ask for help! I can handle this kind of stuff on my own." she said, looking mad for a reason that I couldn't fully understand.

"I don't doubt that, but I didn't want to risk someone getting hurt on my watch." I said. She still looked miffed, "Your watch?" she asked.

"On my watch, in my presence, it's all the same. What matters is that it was the right thing to do." I explained. She seemed a little taken aback at my sincerity.

"You never asked for my help, I did it on my own. So that makes you still independent." I said, trying to cement my reason for helping her.

"So I'm going to, on my own, reach up here and..." I said, feeling the top shelf until I came across a dusty volume.

"Here, this is it right? I'd hate to see you break your neck trying to reach it again." I said, holding out the book to her. It's no surprise she couldn't reach it, being at least a head shorter than me.

She timidly picked it up, bowed, and left abruptly. "She bowed to me? Well, she must have come from Japan too." I said to myself.


	10. Chapter 10

After spending an afternoon at the library, the sun was already setting, it would be dark by the time I got back to the room.

I was never one to stay out late, just one of the many things that had changed I guess.

Thirty minutes later the sky was mostly dark, and the streetlights were on. I was looking over the book I had checked when I heard questionable sounds coming from a nearby alley.

I ran to the wall and placed my back adjacent with the entrance. I peered around the corner to see a struggle at least thirty feet away.

What I saw was the girl I had met at the library being held above the ground by someone I didn't know. He was 6", bald, and wearing a red dress shirt with jeans. He was holding her up by the hands and it seemed the book I gave her was on the ground with something that looked like a fancy tennis racket.

"What the hell is this?" I heard him say. "I sent you to get one book, and you couldn't even do that right!" he yelled at her.

"Oh no. That book really must have been the wrong one. This is my fault." I said to myself. "I...I'll go back, I can do it." she pleaded.

"No, you can't, your useless! I think you owe me a little something!" he yelled, grabbing her chest with his free hand. _Damn it! I swore I'd never do this again but I have no choice._ I thought.

I dialed into my phone and said, "Hello, 911? There is a body of a man lying in an alley between fifth and central." I said into my 'disposable' phone.

"First responders will be on the scene in as little as six minutes." the voice said. I broke the phone in half and put on my black gloves. "More than enough time." I said to myself.

* * *

My OC feels responsible for what's happening so he decides to deal some vigilante justice to save Yukari. I hope you all agree with the outcome. Thanks again to those of you who have read this far.


	11. Chapter 11

The girl woke a few minutes later, to find me carrying her on my back. I had her stuff tucked under my arm. That guy had knocked her out before I got to them.

I did go against my better judgement in carrying her, but I had already put her in that situation so I wanted to at least make sure she got home safe.

"What...happened?" she asked in a very tired voice. "It's better that you don't know. All that matters is that that guy won't be bothering you anymore." I said.

"Oh, you saw that?" she asked. "Uh...yeah... I did." I said. We didn't talk for almost fifteen minutes.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "Yeah, just a few bruises." she said. "I'm sorry, I put you in that mess and I didn't want anymore harm to come from it." I said.

"No, I put myself there. His name was Paul, we met a month ago when I was offering my services as a tutor. He was struggling in summer school math so I saw him regularly, one thing led to another, and we wound up a couple." she said. I decided not to call attention to the fact that she was only fourteen.

"Some couple." I said. "I knew he was abusing me, but I never had that much self-confidence. Plus I've had my heart-broken before, so I figured I'd ride it out." she said.

"No one deserves to be treated like that. Much less you." I said strongly. She buried her face in my neck. "Thank you. What's your name?" she asked. "Jacob." I said.

"So...Jacob...do you have a girlfriend?" she asked. I was completely unprepared for that question. "Oh! A...yeah, I do." I said, afraid of hurting her.

"Oh." she said, sounding downtrodden. I really wanted to help her, but I most certainly wasn't about to cheat on Mizii. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you'd be a great girlfriend, but we don't have to be a couple." I said. "What do you mean?" she asked.

I smiled and handed her a card with my phone number on it. "Just think of me as your big brother. Whenever you need someone to talk to I'll be there. Or if someone's bothering you just talk to me. Plus, with school starting I'll probably need a tutor." I said.

My real little sister was a huge pain, so this would probably be a nice change of pace.

She appeared to be deep in thought. Then, she smiled. "That'd be great, big brother." she said. "I'm glad you think so, but you don't have to call me that." I said, happy to have made a good friend. "I'm still gonna." she said, still smiling.

"So, where do you live?" I said. There was no response. "Hey! Still with me!?" I yelled.

I heard her breathing, she was asleep. "Just great." I said sarcastically.

"Now what do I do?" I said to myself. I didn't know where she lived or if she had any friends or family she could stay with. She would never be let into my dorm, besides the thought of Lee being in same room as an unconscious girl gave me chills. I was already borderline kidnapping this girl. I could put her in a hotel room, but I left all my money back at the dorm.

Just as I was thinking this over, a familiar face had stopped in front of me. "Hello Jacob." said Mizii.

"Huh? Mizii? What are you doing here?" I asked. "I was stalking you." she said, as if it she were telling someone that she was on a  
walk.

"Uh...thank you?" I said. Still unsure of how I felt about that. "Sure thing. What are you doing with that girl?" she asked.

"Oh! Trust me it's not what it looks like! She's a friend. She got knocked out and I was just trying to find out where she lived." I said.

When Mizii didn't respond I looked down at the ground and spoke in a defeated voice. "You saw the whole thing didn't you?"I said. I was convinced no girl would ever want to be around me if they knew what I was capable of.

"Yes, I did. But don't worry, I've seen worse." she said, in a pitying voice. "Really?" I said. I wasn't sure whether to feel relieved, or  
sorry for her.

"I know where she lives, I'll take her there." she said. "Oh, thank you." I said, moving the girl on my back to my arms and handing her to Mizii. "I'll see you later." she said.

"Yeah, see ya. Are we breaking up?" I said, feeling empty. She smiled, and took a step closer.

Without warning, she had pressed her lips against mine. I was taken completely by surprise and didn't even know what I was supposed to do. They were cold, but I liked it.

She pulled back with a smile, then turned around with the girl in her arms and left.

I was just standing there, void of all emotions but bliss.

* * *

How was the first kiss scene? If your wondering what happened to that guy in the alley, think of roadkill from the neck up.


	12. Chapter 12

I'm starting school soon, that's just great. Here's chapter 12. Enjoy.

* * *

I came back to the dorm around 11:00pm.

"Hey man, where ya been? Your lady keep you out late?" Lee said mockingly, with a black eye that was still visible. I was in far too good a mood for anything of his to effect me. I walked in and sat down.

A kiss, my first kiss. The thought had echoed in my mind for over an hour. Now all I could think of was when I'd see her again, she was so beautiful.

Lee seemed to be intrigued by my mystified demeanor. "I'm gonna guess that's a yes." he said, closing the door. "So I'm guessing that you two... you know...'rocked the casbah' as they say?" he asked questioningly.

"What? No! God no! We...we kissed, that's it. Jesus, what is wrong with you?" I said. I wasn't concerned with THAT at all, truly.

"That's what you're getting all misty eyed for!? Come on man. A guy can kiss a hundred girls in the same day and it wouldn't mean a thing." he said. "It's not like that, alright! I really really like her, okay? I might even...I don't know." I said.

"Well, let me know how that turns out. But if you ask me you need to branch out a little, meet some new girls." he said. "I'm pretty sure I know enough girls." I said with confidence.

"Dude, a guy can never know too many girls." he said. He went to the window.

"Great view, right? Now think about all those opportunities just strolling by. I'm gonna help you outta this rut." he said, looking outside. "Having a girlfriend is not a rut. Maybe if you talked to some nicer people you'd realize that." I said.

"You've known this girl for two days, now you think of her like she's Cleopatra." he said. "Cleopatra's got nothing on her." I couldn't help but say with a smile.

"Whatever man. Look, there's a party goin' on tomorrow for the new school year. Some friends of mine got me an invite and I get to bring one person. Figure it'll give you plenty of time to meet more people." he said, while opening the window.

"I don't know man. I was never a real 'party goer'." I said truthfully. "Come on, it starts at 8:00pm. Your coming." he said.

Lee looked down at the sidewalk, his attention fixed on something. "Uh...don't look now, but I think miss perfect is looking up here." he said. "Huh? Mizii?" I exclaimed, getting up to look out the window.

When I looked down I could barely see her, but she was definitely there. She was standing in a tree across the street, just looking up at our window.

I stared at where she was for maybe ten seconds, then she jumped down like it was nothing and casually walked down the street, out of sight. "Sorry man, it looks like your dream girl is a stalker. Like I said before, you need to branch away from girls like that." he said,  
climbing into his bunk.

"A stalker, huh?" I said, thinking it over.

"That's so...adorable." I said with a blush. "You're weird." Lee said, turning off the light.


	13. Chapter 13

School's started, what a pain. Speaking of which, school is starting there too. We also see a glimpse of Jacob's past, enjoy.

* * *

I had another dream that night. I was replaying a very bad memory, it was during the Cleveland raids.

Me and my men had just cleared the last safehouse and were in the process of repossesing all the trafficker's contraband.

I was sifting through some files in a box we had taken outside when I came across a floor plan of the building. Apparently the occupants had set explosives on all the load bearing spots, to be set off via alarm system. I hadn't bothered to check for an alarm system since the safehouse was in an inner city apartment.

There were still eleven men clearing the upper floors. One of my commanders was with them, a guy named Jack. I couldn't even reach for my radio before muffled explosions had started to shake the ground.

When I turned I saw that the building was caving in on itself, leaving nothing intact. Me and the survivors flew the scene. We knew  
protocal, any large disturbance was sure to attract police attention.

"I wasn't fast enough..." I heard myself say. "Damn it, I wasn't fast enough!" I said.

I woke up to my radio clock and shook Lee awake, telling him that class was starting in forty-five minutes.

We both went to Starbucks where I got a frapp and he got black coffee. I ended up paying for both as usual, feeling that I  
should cement my black eye apology in a caffinated beverage.

We got some seats in the back of the lecture hall, among the other students attending 'Intro. to Education'.

As the instructor went on about what was going to be covered in this semester, Lee was dozing in and out of sleep while I listened intently. I had learned earlier in my life that poor preparation would have very bad results.

I was so busy watching the class that I failed to notice who had sat down next to me. "Morning big brother." she said.

"Oh, good morn...wait a minute, what are you doing here?" I asked, now realizing who it was. "I'm getting an education major, so why wouldn't be here?" she said happily. I still didn't get why she wore that outfit, but I figured it was personal so I didn't say anything. _I _  
_must say, she sure is acting chipper in light of what she's been through._ I thought.

"But...wait a minute, your a student?" I said. "Well, yeah. I always did really well in school, so I skipped a couple of grades. Plus, I already told you that I was a tutor." she said. "I guess I didn't think about it too hard." I said, turning back to the instructor.

The rest of the lesson went by in the next fifteen minutes. When I got up I saw that Lee was asleep, and that my 'little sister' had written seven pages of notes. I had written only two.

"So what'd you think?" she asked. "I think this going to be a long semester." I said, turning my attention to Lee. "Hey Lee! Wake up! Class is over!" I shouted, half-hoping to embarass him.

He stirred, barely lifting his head. "I think your friend has a motivational problem." she said. "Oh, what? Is class over? Hey, I'm gonna need to see to your notes man." he said, getting up and yawning. I always hated making up for his for short comings.

"You could use mine, I took way more than needed anyway." she said. "Huh? Who are you?" he said. That's when I realized, I had never asked for her name. That sure was stupid.

"My name is Yukari Sendo, and in addition to being the smartest girl alive I also have Jacob as a big brother." she said, clinging to my arm.

"She's your sister?" Lee asked. "Well not really, but he prefers I call him that, since he doesn't like to think that we're a couple." she said. "But, we're not!" I said, not wanting anyone to think I was a cradle robber.

"Kidding." she said with a grin. "Wow, a cute fourteen year old genius. You sure know how to pick 'em, Jacob." Lee said. "We're not together!" I yelled at him.

"No worries man, I understand. All that time without a girl has left you starved, so you went and got yourself two. And one of them is a loli, congrats." he said with a smug expression. By now I was severely tempted to give him a second black eye.

"Well, I've got a computer arts class to attend. See ya, 'big brother'!" Lee said in a snotty tone as he ran off down the hall, which was followed by a loud 'clang' and the sound of a fall.

Yukari looked embarassed about something. I looked at my watch, it read 12:00. "Um, hey...Jacob, I don't have class for another hour. Do you wanna go eat lunch?" she asked. It was clear that she didn't have anyone else to eat with.

I would have been happy to if I hadn't already made plans with Mizii. "Sorry Yukari, but I'm meeting someone. How about tomarrow?" I said, really not wanting to hurt her feelings. "Oh...okay." she said glumly.

Then I remembered something. "Say Yukari, how do you know Mizii?" I asked. "Who's Mizii?" she said, looking confused.

"You know, the girl that carried you home last night?" I asked. "What are you talking about? You carried me home last night. I fell asleep on the way and I woke up in my dorm." she said, looking even more confused.

_Well, she was asleep. It's probably best to just ask Mizii about this._ I thought. "Your right, I was just thinking about something else." I said. "Well, alright." said Yukari.

"I'll see you later Yukari." I said, walking out of the hall. "Bye Big Brother!" she called after me.

"Does she really have to call me that?" I said to myself.


	14. Chapter 14

I truly appreciate everyone who has read this far. Here's chapter 14 :)

* * *

I met up with Mizii at the sushi bar about a block away from my dorm. We sat down next to each other on the patio and ordered an assortment.

"I heard that in America, a lot of people don't like sushi. So I wasn't a hundred percent sure that you'd be into this." she said. "Are you kidding? I've liked it as long as I can remember. In my opinion, anyone who says they don't like sushi hasn't tried it." I said.

"Are you sure you don't want miso to start? If your worried about the bill I said I'd take care of it." I continued. She seemed slighty embarrassed by the question.

"No, it's not the price I'm concerned about. You see, miso is usually served warm. And...well...I can't eat or touch anything remotely hot. This kind of limits the number of things we can do together, so I'd understand if you want to break up." she said, looking away.

"No way! I'd eat food frozen solid every day if it meant we could be together." I said truthfully. She blushed and said, "That's sweet."

I really liked talking to Mizii, there was just something new to learn and love about her each time.

Our food came and we ate graciously. I didn't care if it was a little overpriced. Come to think of it, I was hardly ever concerned with how much food cost. Back when I was 'working' I always got a sizable cut of the stuff that we repossessed. It was always stored in safe houses, only ever seen on paper except to a few trusted people.

When I stopped 'working' my friend Howard had the combined worth of my accumulated share transferred to me. I was surprised how much it was. Even after I pay my tuition in full, I would still have enough left over to be set for life.

But even so, being a teacher was something I always wanted to do. Plus, I always disliked spending the money from 'work'. Not all of it was gotten honorably.

When we finished eating, I remembered the thing I set out to ask half an hour ago. "Say Mizii..." I began. "Yes?" she said. "Do you really know Yukari?" I asked. She appeared to be confused by the question. "Of course I do, we went to highschool together." she said.

"That's odd, cause when I asked her about you she didn't know who I was talking about." I explained. "Oh...yeah. I changed my name since high school. Yukari knows me as Mizore." she said. Again, something new and interesting.

"Any reason you changed it?" I asked. She seemed to get a little uncomfortable. "Well...back in highschool me and three other girls followed around this guy named Tsukune." she began.

"Was this Tsukune something of a ladies man?" I said, thinking of Lee. "Oh, no. He was timid and good-hearted, and he helped us all at one time or another." she said almost dreamily.

"And Yukari was one of these girls?" I asked. "Yes, and we all wanted him to be our boyfriend. So we all kept trying to win him over. And this went on for four years." she explained. I was starting to like this Tsukune guy less and less.

"On graduation day he finally chose, and it wasn't me. I went into a deep depression afterwards. I'm convinced there was something about me Tsukune did not love, so I changed my name, started wearing different clothes, and dyed my hair. I even convinced my parents to let me go to school in another country, just to get away from the memory." she finished, now looking at the floor.

I was feeling so angry towards Tsukune right then. _You idiot! How could you think to lead on four girls for four years and then break three hearts at the end of it!_ I thought. _You've actually convinced Mizii/Mizore that there's something wrong with her! And Yukari, you drove her into the arms of a bastard!_ I thought.

"Listen to me..." I began to say. She looked up. "Mizii, Mizore, I don't care what your name is or what you look like. Your you, and that's all I care about. If Tsukune picked someone else over you that makes him damn idiot. But in the end I'm glad he did, because then I wouldn't be sitting here with you now. I'm sorry, but that's how I feel." I said. Emotions were poured into that speech that I had forgotten a long time ago.

A small tear fell into her lap, but she had a smile on face. She flung her arms around me and buried her face in my shoulder, where she  
sobbed softly. I hugged her around her back and let her be.

When she finished she looked into my eyes and kissed me with those cold lips of hers. When she pulled back, she said "Thank you." in a quiet voice. "No, thank you...thank you for being you." I said.

I had never felt this way about anyone before. I felt that I could tell her anything, anything.

* * *

And so they grow closer. In case you didn't know by now, what Jacob did for a living wasn't, strictly speaking, 'legal'. Come back again for the next one!


	15. Chapter 15

Here is where Mizore reveals herself to Jacob, let's see how he reacts. :)

* * *

We were holding hands on the way back. It was a good moment we shared, I didn't care if I was late for class.

"I was wondering, which name do you prefer? Cause either one is fine with me." I asked. "You know looking back, changing my name  
just seems silly. How about you just call me Mizore." she said. "I do like that name." I said. "I'm glad." she said.

Something appeared to be on her mind. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Nothing, it's just that..." she began.

"Well...you don't know about something." she finished. That seemed like a very strange statement.

"That can mean any number of things, what specifically don't I know?" I asked. "Well...it's...uh..." she said.

Mizore seemed to be having trouble putting what she wanted into words. "If you don't want to tell me, it's fine." I said.

"No, you should know. If you really do like me for me, then you have to know something." she said, looking a little scared.

I grew concerned, whatever was bothering her had to be something very personal. "Come on, it's better that I show you." she said, leading me into an alley.

When we were a good ways in, she stopped and faced me. "What is it Mizore? You can tell me anything, honest." I said, trying to reassure her. Suddenly, the air started to grow very cold.

Mizore held out her hand in front of me, it appeared that frost was starting to form all around it. Soon the frost had grown into a thin sheet of ice. It continued to build on itself until her hand had become one big claw of pearl blue. Her hair had also turned into the clear color of ice. Even my breath fogged up from the air surrounding her. She took out the contacts she was wearing and I saw a pair of pupiless, dazzling blue eyes.

I was dumbstruck, "Mizore..." I said. "Well...this is my true form. How do I look?" she asked, looking at me with eyes that were like gates to her soul.

I was truly having my 'acceptance of all things' pushed to its limit, but I couldn't help but admire her. I knew that no matter how she looked, she was still the Mizore I knew. Plus, her true form was a truly mesmerizing figure.

I gave her a smile, "Positively angelic." I said honestly. She blushed and returned to her regular self, except for the eyes.

"So...not that I care, but are you human?" I asked. "Well...no. I'm a snow women, I have control over the ice and snow." she said with an apprehensive look.

I beamed at her, "That was very brave Mizore, humans can often be scared and violent creatures. I'm honored that you trust me so much." I said.

She appeared to be very touched, whatever reaction she was expecting it was definitely not the one I was giving. "I did tell you that I accepted you no matter how you looked." I said.

She walked up to me and gave an extremely tight and cold hug, as if afraid I was going to vanish. _This must be her non-human strength._ I thought. It was actually quite painful, but I grinned and bore it for her sake.

"I...I was..." Mizore said, in a relieved voice. "Scared that I would run and scream when I saw what you were?" I said in a strained voice. She loosened her grip at the realization that I had stopped breathing.

"There's...no way...I'd leave you." I said in-between breaths and bent over. Once I got a hold of myself we got back to the street, with Mizore hugging my arm. She thought that my reaction couldn't have been better.

"Oh, and you could call me your little snow bunny if you like." she said into my ear. I blushed dark red and felt uncomfortably warm.

"Uh...maybe...I'll get back to you on that." I stammered as we walked back to school.

"I just have one question. Why the contacts? Your eyes look much more beautiful without them." I said as we sat on a bench inside the campus park. I could really care less for the classes I was missing.

"They were to help me live among humans to prevent any raised eyebrows." she said. "That makes sense." I said, looking up at the autumn leaves, thinking. _She confided in me, now it's __my turn. _I thought.

"Mizore..." I said. "What?" she asked. "You put your trust in me, now I want to do the same." I said.

She smiled, "You don't have to do that." she said. "Yes, I do." I said.

I was finally confident enough to tell her my story.

* * *

Horray! He accepts her! Stay tuned.


	16. Chapter 16

(Dramatic voiceover) And so, Jacob's full back story is revealed! Enjoy.

* * *

"It all started freshman year of highschool." I began. I was going to tell her everything.

Within my high school days I was leading a double life.

There were four founders of a vigilante group called the Black Wardens: Me, Howard, Jack, and Connor. We grouped together with the ideal that we could make the world a better place. After an entire year of rigorously training each other, we could work as a cohesive unit under fire and take down the toughest of punks single-handed.

When seed money allowed us to expand our radius of surveillance, we realized that we could be so much more, and started recruiting. We trained people from almost every age group in the art of stealth, armed and unarmed combat, and philosophy. Our skill sets rivaled that of a professional military company.

When we recruited members, we looked for people down on their luck or that had a firm sense of justice. We also provided food and lodging to members who didn't have a home. Most of the cities we went through saw a large drop in their homeless population because they had decided to commit to something, not waste away in a gutter.

Revenue was generated by the repossession of funds and assets from criminal hands. We even managed to find wealthy benefactors to fund most of our operations.

We did good, bringing down the human and drug trafficking networks of Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Nasty business, and the thought of all those would-be victims just didn't help me sleep anymore. I left and put Howard in charge.

I glanced to see how Mizore was reacting to this. She had a blank, but knowing look in her eye.

"What about the other two?" Mizore asked. "Dead. They were killed by the criminal elements we were trying to fight. After hunting down those responsible I..." I began, the full force of the memory bearing down on me.

"I made them suffer until they begged for death. And then I granted their wish." I finished in a pitiful voice.

"But the last straw came when my home was burned to the ground, with my parents inside. This happened a week before I left for college. They were never a part of any of this! And they died in agony because of me. I sent my sister to live with relatives, and I figured I'd leave my brother be in college. The further either of them were from me the better. I've been alone ever since." I said.

"I'm so sorry." she said. _Well..._ I thought, _Her pitying me is better than her fearing or scolding me. _

Mizore looked up at the trees and said, "I was alone once too, but then I met someone special." I looked at the ground, _Tsukune._ I thought.

But I felt her hair brush against my cheek, her head was resting on my shoulder. "Do you know the feeling?" she said with a smile.

Then I understood, and smiled too. "Yes, yes I do." I said, putting my arm around her.

* * *

Horray! She accepts him too! Good reading!


	17. Chapter 17

"I'm so glad that I can be myself around you." I said, with her head still on my shoulder. "So am I." she said, with my arm still around her.

We sat there for almost an hour, just enjoying eachothers company.

"I've never been more certain about this, but do want to meet my parents?" Mizore asked. "Of course I do." I said with a smile.

"That's great! But if they say something you don't like, try to bear with it." she said. "Well I wouldn't be surprised if they scrutinized me, I am dating their daughter after all." I said knowingly.

"That's not it exactly, they...well..." she began. "It doesn't matter. I'll like them no matter how they act." I said positively.

We made plans for me to meet her folks in about a week. We parted with a kiss and went our seperate ways.

I looked at my watch and it read 5:23pm. I had missed the rest my classes for the day, so I figured it'd be best to just head home.

When I got up to the room Lee was waiting there, not only sporting a fading black eye but also a bump on the head. He was wearing a dress shirt and tie with his sleeves rolled up.

"Dude! You are not going to believe what happened to me on the way to computer class! I was just leaving the lecture hall, when out of nowhere a **washtub** comes down and nails me in the head. This was in the **middle of the hallway**! How crazy is that!" he yelled.

"Pretty crazy." I said. But my mind was elsewhere, somewhere full of hope and happiness.

"Anyways, are you ready?" he asked. "Huh? For what?" I said. "The party, you numb-skull!" he yelled.

I sighed and thought it over. Sure, I was in a good mood but not one for a night of drinking, loud music, and questionable decisions.

But this was obviously something that Lee really wanted to do, and it's not like he had anyone else to be his 'wingman'.

I learned a while back not to take friends for granted, not that Lee thought the same.

"I suppose so..." I said. "Awesome! Come on, let's get going." he said, putting a fedora hat to cover his bump and sunglasses for his shiner. He grapped me by the sleeve and pulled me down the hall after him.

We hailed a taxi to drive us to the party, which was in an apartment a few miles away.

Lee must have been very serious about this party, he was actually wearing cologne. _The last time he did that was... _I thought.

When we got into the cab I saw an opportunity. "Alright, who is she?" I asked. "Pssh! That's crazy man! You're crazy!" he said frantically.

"I thought you were dating that girl from the computer store?" I asked. "Who? Oh yeah, we broke up." he said so nonchalantly that it was wierd, even for him.

"So who is it this time?" I said, knowing full well how often he changed girlfriends. "Urrgh! Fine! Her name's Kurumu Kurunu. I ran into her this afternoon and she is** freakin hot, **man! And I mean the kind of hot that any red-blooded man would kill for! I am head-over-heels in love! I heard she's gonna be at this party, and I really want to hit this off." he said.

I had truly never seen him this stressed out about anything. For some reason I thought back to the day I had met Mizore, and the  
girl I pulled from traffic. _Hmm...Kurumu. Is it possible?_ I thought.

"Perhaps." I said out loud. "I gonna need better chances than 'perhaps' to get **this **girl. Word is, most of the guys on campus are asking her out. And she never gives straight answers to any of them!" he said.

"That's wierd." I said. _The way she was acting, you'd think she wanted a boyfriend. Of course, I could be _  
_thinking of someone completely different._ I thought.

"Let's go!" Lee yelled as we exited the cab and went outside. _I'm just going to watch out for Lee, knowing the trouble he's prone to_ _attract. No drinking, and no girls._ I thought.

* * *

And so Jacob accompanies Lee to the party in question. What's gonna happen? Find out next time, on A New Start.

Man, do I enjoy writing this.


	18. Chapter 18

The building itself was nothing special, a brick rectangle. It appeared as though a good number of students had shown up, and people were still casually walking in.

My watch read 7:42pm. Lee said he'd wanted to be early but that seemed to defeat the purpose if everyone else was doing exacting that. I never did like the whole 'party scene', mainly because I felt like an outcast most of the time. That was probably my own fault though.

Lee eagerly lead me through the lobby and into an elevator. He pressed for the tenth floor and we waited. I still had questions about all this, I figured now would be the best time. "So where exactly did you hear about this party?" I asked. "A little bird." he said, like the answer was sewn in with the question. "I thought that you got an invite from a friend." I asked. "When did I say that?" he said with a questioning look.

The doors openned and pop music flooded the elevator. It appeared as though an entire level of the building had been converted into a dance floor. Balloons covered the ceiling and confetti the floor. There was a bar built into the wall and waiters carrying trays of drinks wandered the room. People from all over campus had collected here. There were rows of doors lining the wall that looked like they belonged to changing booths.

Lee went off looking for Kurumu so I decided to look around and mingle. I went up to someone I saw in my education lecture. "Hey! Do you go to intro. to Ed?" I said. "I don't know, maybe." he said rather disoriented. He had a drink in his hand, so that may have meant he was drunk.

I didn't know exactly why, but I grew suspicious. "Where did you hear about this party?" I asked. "Uuuh, little bird." he said, looking very nauseous. This whole thing seemed very off.

I went to another person and asked the same question, with the same answer given back in a drunken tone. I tried someone else, I got the same result. Something wasn't right, _These people can't all be part of some inside joke, especially if their drunk._ I thought.

Then I decided to try a waiter who was holding a tray for glasses of vodka. "Excuse me?" I asked. He turned and offered me the tray expectantly. "No, that's not it. Who hired you to cater this party?" I asked. "That's an interesting question, and it goes better with a drink. Here." he said, nudging the platter closer to me.

This was getting me nowhere, "Nevermind." I said. The waiter turned around, but not before I caught a glimpse of something inside his coat. "Hey wait!" I called out. He turned back around and glared at me. "Could I see what you have, please?" I asked. He extended his arm to put the tray under my nose. This allowed me to sneak a peek at what was in his coat.

What met my eyes was the hard plastic handle of a 9mm, and a flashbang grenade. _Since when do waiters pack that kind of heat._ I thought. "Forget it, I'm not thirsty." I said. He gave an angry grunt and stormed off.

_Alright, now I know something is very very wrong._ I thought. "Jaaacooob!" someone said from behind me. Before I could ask who it was I found myself being hugged tightly from the neck up.

I had no idea what just happened, but found that I couldn't breathe at all. My face was buried in some kind of fabric, and someone had wrapped their legs around my hips. "Woo hoo! Funny seeing you here right? It's just crazy! One moment you're pulling me out of traffic and the next you come to a party to see me." said the person in question.

That's when I knew who had jumped on me. "You're name wouldn't happen to be Kurumu, would it?" I muffled through whatever it was. "Say what?" she said in a happy tone.

There was a shattering noise and she fell off me. That's when I saw where my face had been buried, and I turned an incredible shade of red. "Keep your paws off my boyfriend." said an all too familiar voice.

"Mizore! It's not what you think!" I screamed apologetically. "Calm down Jacob, I know you didn't WANT that." she said calmly.

"Owww!" said Kurumu, who had chunks of ice in her hair. "Trying to steal my man again, Mizore?" she pouted. "Turning people into mindless love slaves again, Kurumu?" said Mizore.

I then noticed that the few guys of the party who weren't totally zonked were standing nearby and giving me a death stare. It was then that I sincerely hoped Lee had exaggerated when he said Kurumu was hot enough to kill for.

Kurumu got up and brushed herself off. "I didn't do all this. If I did they'd be fawning over me wouldn't they? Also, do you really mean 'boyfriend' or just someone you happen to be stalking right now." she said with a smirk.

"Believe it or not, both. And I find the fact that she stalks me very cute." I said. Mizore blushed, "Thank you." she said.

"By the way, what are doing here Mizore?" I asked. "I stalked you here." she said mid-blush.

I smiled, "Should have figured." I said. "Kurumu, Jacob was never your man." Mizore said.

"He may as well be, no one else here has done anything selfless for me. Plus these guys are all dull as hell, I'm never gonna find my destined one at this rate." Kurumu said. "I'm not sure about any 'destined one', but maybe if you didn't work so hard to physically  
seduce every guy around you, someone could learn to like you for who you are on the inside. Like I have with Mizore." I explained.

"What do you care? You already have a companion. You could've been mine but it looks like I've now lost that battle twice." she said, pouting. "Wait a minute, Kurumu did you to school with Mizore?" I asked.

Before she could respond, Lee's voice was ringing out "Hey Jacob!". He was running at an incredible speed towards us and stopped to glare at me.

"How the hell do you know **the** Kurumu Kurunu!?" he yelled. "You could say that he saved me, then I hit on him." Kurumu said rather passively.

"When the hell did **you** start stealing girls from me! You told me that you never dated anyone before college, so why now are you getting so much female attention!?" he said in a fury.

"I really wish I could answer that." I said, feeling that his pain was partly divine retribution.

"Why does the universe hate me so mu..." Lee's speech slurred and he started moping around mindlessly like everyone else. "Yeah, I have that effect on guys." Kurumu said with a grin.

"No, it's not that. Everyone at this party is acting not just drunk, but zombified. Only the few of us who didn't drink anything are acting normal. Not only that, but all the waiters have guns in their jackets. There's something very wrong with this party." I said.

Just then, people started passing out everywhere. It spread across the room until the only ones standing were myself, Mizore, Kurumu, and the waiters.

Suddenly I felt someone edging behind me so I spun around. What saw was a waiter, frozen solid and holding a rag and tazer. "He was sneaking up on you, I subdued him." Mizore said.

"I'm pretty sure he's dead." I said. "Oh." she said, not even slightly fazed. _Well...I'm glad she's taking it so...well._ I thought.

The others didn't seem to have noticed, they had started picking up people's limp forms and taking them toward the back rooms. "Damn it! Get down, this is a trafficker's trap." I said in a whisper.

We all crouched down. "A what?" said Mizore. "Something organized for the purpose of kidnapping people and using them on the black market for God knows what." I said. I was well versed in these kinds of situations, but not these tactics. The kidnappers hold a party for students, they drug the drinks, and then take them away while they're passed out.

I pulled out my phone and called 911. "Hello? There's a kidnapping in progress at 9th and king." I said, shutting the phone and getting up. "That'll stop them from getting away, now to save the others." I said.

Then I saw that Kurumu was getting tipsy. "Ah no, Kurumu did you drink anything?" I asked. "Just a couple glass..." she said, then collapsed.

"God dang it. Watch her, Mizore. I'll handel this." I said, rifling through the waiter's chilled pockets till I found his pistol and flashbang. The tazer was frozen to his hand so I left it. I checked the magazine, it was full.

"Alright wait here. When the shooting starts, get down and stay down." I said. There was no way I was going to put her in danger, even if she was stronger than normal humans.

Before she could respond I was darting across the room to where the first pair of guys were carrying a girl to the back.

I did a high kick, breaking one's jaw. Then I grabbed the other one before he could react and brought his head down on my  
knee, causing a large amount of blood to pour from his nose. I turned and elbow-dropped the first man in the back of the neck, then curb stomped the second in his already bloody face.

By now the others had spotted what was happening and were pulling out their guns. I threw the flashbang, got down, covered my ears, and shut my eyes. After hearing the familiar 'bang' I got up and took aim.

There were six more men, all cringing from the noise and burst of light. _I've got to take them down before they can fire back, or they might _  
_hit one of the students on the floor._ I thought. I dropped the two furthest from me and dashed for the two closest.

I pressed my gun against the first one's temple and pulled the trigger. I got the other one in a sleeper hold and used him as a shield to cause the other two to hesitate, which is time I used to shoot them. I never took solice in using such underhanded tactics, but I left my  
sympathy for such people back at ashes of my home.

"Who do you work for!?" I shouted at the man I was still holding, while holding the gun to his forehead. He started blubbering but gave no exact answer.

_I have no patience for this._ I thought. I shot him in the leg, and he howled in pain. "What were you going to do with these people once you got them out?" I said menacingly. The man had trouble forming words through the pain.

"W...we were gonna sell them." he said. "How **humane** of you. Sell them to who!? I demanded.

"I...I don't know exactly, they never gave us the name of the buyer. Th...they said to pile them in the truck, and they paid us up front." he said, his eyes showed a feeling of deep terror.

"You know what I hate about people like you?" I hissed in his ear. "You were about to ruin all these people's lives, and you don't give shit." I said, and pistol-whipped him in the head.

Then I felt something snap, and I let him go.

* * *

Talk about a party! See you next time!


	19. Chapter 19

I would like to take some time to address the complaints of readers. First, the girls are not Jacob's 'harem' like with Tsukune, my OC only has eyes for Mizore, Kurumu just hits on him cuz she's desperate, and Yukari feels attached to him since he helped her. Also, I decided to add them in the first place because I figured it would add texture to the story. All character roles will grow as the story progresses.

Jacob just cleared the room of baddies, now he needs to know if Mizore's ok.

* * *

I wiped the gun of prints, and put it down gently.

I walked over to where I left Mizore and Kurumu to find them just as they were. Kurumu and Lee were lying next to each other while Mizore sat beside them.

"The drug will probably wear off in an hour or two." I said, kneeling down to check on them. They had a pulse, but were still out cold. _Thank God._ I thought.

"Kurumu was the other girl you went to school with, right?" I asked. "Yes." Mizore said. "She didn't freak out when you froze that guy, so does she know you're a snow women?" I asked. "Yes." she said again. "And I guessing she also chased Tsukune?" I asked. "Yes." she said yet again. "Well that's cleared up." I said to myself.

I thought about what to do now, whether to stay or go. We were safe, but if the police saw that we were the only ones standing it would raise suspicions. "Should we leave?" Mizore asked. "Yeah." I said, getting up and walking to the window.

Looking down, there should have been at least a squad car or two. But...nothing, just the truck pulling out of sight. "Something's wrong, I called the police almost ten minutes ago so they should have been here by now." I said.

I went back over to where Lee was. "Come on, you carry Kurumu I'll carry Lee." I said, pulling him sideways onto my back like a mule. Mizore carried Kurumu slung over her shoulder.

"Why are we taking them?" Mizore asked as we entered the elevator. "Because if we're fleeing the scene of a crime, we need to take anyone who knew we were there, with us." I explained, pressing the 1st floor.

The doors opened revealing an empty lobby, which was good news. "Let's set them down here. I'll get us a cab." I said, putting Lee on a couch. Mizore set Kurumu down next to him. I called the cab company and asked for a van taxi, it's a good thing I remembered my wallet.

After hanging up I turned to my girlfriend, "Listen, Mizore. About what happened back there..." I began. "It was necessary." she cut me off. "Huh?" I said.

"They threatened the lives of people you cared about so they got what they deserved, right?" she said. "Uh...yeah, yeah that's right." I said, hardly believing that Mizore could be this level-headed.

"Mizore..." I said. "What?" she said. "I still don't understand how you can accept me, knowing the things I've done." I said, looking at the floor.

She moved to my side and pulled my head in for a long kiss. All the while she made me feel that I was the luckiest guy in the world.

She pulled back and rested her cheek on my shirt. "I accept you because I know what a kind person you are, and that you use your strength to protect anyone you can." she said.

_How could anyone be so understanding, so loving, so wonderful._ I thought. "Mizore...I think I..." I said. The honking of the taxi interrupt our moment. We both sighed and picked up our 'friends'.

The middle-aged, bearded driver gave an inquiring look at the sight of our load, but wasn't one to turn down a job. We put our unconscious friends in the backseat and sat in the two spots center of the van.

"Where too?" he asked, trying to ignore to unconscious figures. "Take us to this street." I said, handing the driver a slip of paper. He read it and nodded.

The cab started down the night streets of New York. "Mind if I ask what's with your buddies back there?" he asked, letting his curiosity get the better of him. I tried to think of a reasonable explanation. "Well...we were partying and they couldn't handle it, so they passed out." I said, technically being honest.

"I hear that. But kids your age really shouldn't be drinking." he said. "Your telling me." I said to myself.

Kurumu stirred in the back, half conscious and totally zonked. She reached around my seat and hugged my neck from the back, "Heeey, Jacob. What do you say we head to my place and make a mistake, huh~?" she said.

I don't think it would've been humanly possible for a person's face to get any redder than mine was at that moment. Before openning my mouth to rebuttal, Mizore had smacked Kurumu in the forehead. Who in turn passed out in Lee's lap.

I sighed in relief, and took in the scene. "If only he were awake..." I said with a smirk.

The cab pulled over at my stop and we got out, leaving Kurumu and Lee in the back.

"What about them?" the driver asked. "Here, take this and drive them around till they wake up. Then take them where they want to go." I said, handing him three hundred dollars. "Yes sir!" he said enthusiastically, all inhibitions gone.

I shut the door and they drove out of sight down the partly lit street. I looked at my watch, it was 12:32am. _Man, what a day._ I thought.

Mizore moved closer to me, "So...Jacob...what was it you were saying before the taxi picked us up?" she said. That sentence brought my train of thought crashing to earth. Suddenly my knees were weak and I couldn't think clearly.

"I...I..." I stuttered. _Dang it, why am I hesitant now!?_ I thought.

"I...I..." I continued to fumble over the three words I wanted to say so badly.

Mizore put her finger to my lips, came in close, and whispered in my ear, "I love you too."

* * *

Huzzah! The three words that bind individual's together have been spoken! Where do they go from here? Stay tuned for next time on an all new A New Start!

Man, this story's quite a journey. Thanks again to all the readers out there. I am currently working on the next chapter.


	20. Chapter 20

I really want to make this a good story but I can't please everyone. I'm sorry the story's not that believable, I'm sorry the chapters are short, and that the sentences lack detail. But should I really apologize for adding a few already known characters? Or for writing that Mizore moved on? I didn't want to write a story about Mizore following Tsukune and Moka around. I'm going to continue writing this story the way I see fit.

I will warn you ahead of time that Ginei will make an appearance in the future.

* * *

The emotional impact of what Mizore said in that moment was earth-shattering.

"Wow." I said dreamily. "Just wow?" she said, blushing. "That was more or less a shot in the dark, if you feel that's a little fast I'll..." but she couldn't finish, for the first time, **I** was the one to kiss **her**.

All my fear was gone, all my sorrow, all my dread over the things I'd seen and done. I felt that inner peace was within my grasp, all because of her.

When we pulled apart she looked at me with wide eyes. "You took the words right out my mouth." I said happily.

Miles away stood a glass skyscraper that dwarfed those surrounding it.

On the top floor a rather fat man in a dark green suit was pacing the floor of his dim penthouse, looking quite distraught. He had short black and grey hair, a handlebar mustache, a unibrow, and was using a cane.

A much slimmer man in jeans, cowboy boots, sunglasses, and a Hawaiian shirt was leaning back in a nearby swivel chair playing with the teeth of his comb. He had a young face, long brown hair, and a toothpick in his mouth.

He was facing a wall of tv monitors, all showing different parts of the city. The man was paying extra attention to one showing a room full of unconscious young adults lying eagle-spread over a confetti covered floor, with eight dead waiters amongst them. "What the hell do we do now!?" said the fat one.

"We already had clients lined up to buy those people. Our guys were intercepting phone calls in that block so that trouble **wouldn't **show up! Now some motherf***** comes in and kills men on my payroll!? He's dead! You hear me!? He's dead!" the fat man yelled.

"Cool your jets old man." said the skinny one, still facing the screen. The fat man stopped and turned menacingly to his associate. "**Cool my jets**!? That son of a bitch cost us a** two million** dollar deal! Do you even know how hard it was to organize a scheme like that!? Pfft, 'old man'. Last time I checked, **you** were older than **me**!" ranted the fat one.

The skinny man leaned closer to the screen, and kept rewinding the sequence of the waiters being killed. "Relax. We'll bide our time, get to know this guy. We already know he's a student and that he's got a sweetheart." he said in a sly voice.

"And besides..." he continued, pausing the video on the person in question breaking a waiter's jaw. A wicked smile came onto his face, "I know potential when I see it." he finished.

I ascended the stairs of my dorm after a heart-felt goodbye to Mizore.

_She loves me._ the thought echoed in my head till it throbbed, but I didn't care. It felt as though my feet weren't even touching the ground, I was beyond cloud nine. For the first time in a long time, I saw the world as a beautiful place, where everyone could be happy.

* * *

Thank you for putting up with my bulls***. See ya next time!


	21. Chapter 21

I feel like I should take this time to give those of you who've stuck with the story a description of my OC. He's 5"11', very short brown hair with a few greys, hardly shaves so he's got a five o'clock shadow most of the time, dark rings under his eyes that get progressively better as time goes on, he is currently nineteen, 200 pounds, and wears a variety of clothing but always has long sleeves and combat boots.

To those it may concern, I would like to apologize if I've appeared rude in the past. I'm sorry if I've appeared hypocritical by welcoming critiques and then complaining about them, I'm just trying to justify my mistakes. Just some last clarifications: No, I don't live in New York, I live in Ohio. And no, I probably will never be on the level of Ikeda, or consider myself the same level of genius. I'm just a fan, and this is my work. I plan on this story continuing awhile.

* * *

I thought I'd get a nice dream for once, considering. Fat chance of that.

It was another memory of my time with the Black Wardens, when we were 'breach and clearing' an opium den (there are more of them then you think).

I was outside at night in Detroit, the winter snow was up to my ankles. Intel said that there was a file containing the location of a heroin distribution hub somewhere inside. I was standing in an alley directly across the street from a cellar door, beyond which  
was the den.

I recall that the bulletproof vest was itching under my trench coat. I couldn't very well open up my coat to adjust it, trying to remain inconspicuous and all. One hand was in my pocket the other was carrying a leather suitcase.

_Damn it's freezing._ I thought, pulling out a cigarette. I was only seventeen, why the hell was I smoking? When the tip was lit I inhaled and checked my watch. I guess I could've cared less about my lungs, the last year had really done a number on me as it is.

"Almost time." I said to myself, just as my earpiece buzzed to life. "Sir! Police heli in area, what do we do?" said the voice of a sarge.

I responded in a bored voice, "There's no way they could've found out about this. Hold your position and let it pass." I said, taking another puff. "Yes sir." said the voice, then the earpiece fell silent.

As far as my parents were concerned I was spending the night at friend's, my lies didn't vary but they still believed them whole-heartedly. I did that  
because I knew they'd never understand, who wants a killer for a son?

The minutes ticked by, I kept my eyes on the door that was half concealed by the ground. Suddenly it swung open, and someone stumbled out onto the snow. It was a young man, completely high and disoriented. He had blonde hair and a leather jacket. I could've passed him off as a civilian, but he had an AK-47 over his shoulder. Must've been on security detail and decided to partake of the opium.

"Orders?" the earpiece said. "Take him. If anyone sees, start the breach." I said. One suppressed gunshot later he lay motionless in snow, with blood  
beginning to collect around his forehead. No one came out of the door, no one drove by, no one had seen a thing. _And they won't see this._ I thought.

"Move into position, I'm crossing the street." I said into my earpiece. "Roger that." it responded.

By the time I reached the door a dozen men dressed in swat gear had gathered on both sides. I opened up the suitcase and took out my MP5 with grenades.

After loading the first clip, I turned to my third-in-command Connar. "Remember, in and out as quick as possible. If they get a chance to return fire I'll draw it away from you and the others." I said. "I really wish I could talk you out of going in first all the time. These men are more than willing act as the  
forefront." he said. A soldier stepped forward, "He's right sir, you've done a lot for us. Please let us return the favor." he said.

I could never ask someone to put themselves in danger for my sake, but they didn't get that. These men were used to the idea of a leader sending people to fight for him.

I turned to the soldier and gave him a blank stare, he understood and stepped back. "Alright, the door isn't locked so we're walking in without a breach. When the first person notices us, we open up." I said, turning the safety off. "If they're armed, they're hostile. Don't worry about civilian witnesses, your uniforms will make them think this is a DEA bust." I said, putting out my cigarette. "Now, on three..." I said.

Out of six people in the dimly lit, brick walled, cafeteria-sized room, two of them had been armed. When the shots stopped firing no soldier or civilian was injured.

My men began collecting the bodies, shell casings, and weapons while Connar and I checked the office.

In that small, cubicle-like room we searched and confiscated all the files kept there. It was poorly organized but that hardly mattered when you were taking everything.

We re-entered the main room to find the men watching over the survivors. "Sir. This man here owns the property." said one. I approached the portly man who wore gold necklaces. "You're all murderers!" said the man. "It's not murder if you're protecting the innocent." I said blandly.

"And who are the innocent's you're protecting from me and my business!?" he said. "Specifically, all those kids you've got pedaling your product and running errands. Not to mention the fact that you've got friends in some pretty nasty places, we want to know who and where." I said, giving him my death stare.

Just then a large 'bang' had gone off.

I looked around rapidly and saw that there was an open door, it had been painted the color of the wall so it wasn't noticed till now. I did a head count and saw that Connar was missing. _God no._ I thought.

I ran to the door and looked inside, lying in face-down in front of me was Connar. I looked up and saw that a shotgun had been rigged to go off for when the door was opened.

I knelt down and picked him up, hoping against hope that he was okay. What I saw made me almost throw up: there was a cavity in head where his skull should've been.

"Damn it, you idiot!" I yelled at the body. "This is why I go first! This is why I **always** go first!" I continued yelling. "You're only fourteen...why the hell are you dead!?" I screamed. What I saw next, did make me throw up.

In that cement, jail cell-sized room, there was a metal chair bolted the floor. Next to it was a table with wheels that had everything from corkscrews to cleavers, along with miscellaneous surgical equipment. In that chair was the pale body of a twelve year-old girl, covered head to toe with injuries of every kind. I collected myself just long enough to feel her pulse with my quivering fingers. I confirmed it, she was dead.

In addition to Connar's blood, the floor was covered in blackish red stains that had accumulated over time. A video camera sat on a tri-pod, facing the chair.

"Snuff...films?" I said, my anger building. My nails dug into my palms until they started to bleed.

I set Connar down and picked up my SMG. I walked at a brisk pace back to where the portly man was, a hungerous rage filling my stomach.

I grabbed him by the collar and shook him. "What kind sick bastard are you!?" I yelled, punching him square in the gut. "Unh! Stop it, this is murder!" he pleaded.

"That's absolutely hilarious coming from you! Do I look l give a s*** about murder!?" I continued. Then I throw him to the ground and began pounding his face with the butt of my gun. "Stop...your...I..." the man said between hits. "This is how they begged! You hear me!? This is how they begged!" I screamed. Something animalistic had woke in me, something less than human.

"Sir, if you keep doing that he'll die without interrogation." said a frightened grunt. I stopped my assault, and got up.

"Your right, that's more than he deserves." I said, the hatred still spewing from my gut. "Tie him and his employees up, we're leaving them here." I said, darkly.

"Grab Connar and put him in the van. Don't take anything, it's all tainted." I said, thinking of how those two kids should have lived much longer, full lives.

Once we were all back out in the snow, I pulled the pin on an incendiary grenade and threw it inside.

We watched the blaze in our rear view mirrors. I woke up feeling sick.

* * *

Sorry if this chapter was a little darker than usual, just trying to show what Jacob's been through.


	22. Chapter 22

Just a short tidbit to cap off the night.

* * *

The clock read 3:40am. _Man it's late._ I thought.

Were there no classes tomorrow I'd consider just laying awake the rest of the night, but I didn't have that luxury. I laid there, staring at the ceiling and thought through all this.

I covered my face with my hands. "Why can't it all just stop? I've finally found someone who loves me despite my past." I said to myself. _But it doesn't change what I did._ I thought, picturing all the corpses that were piled at my feet.

It was just so sad and frustrating, I left the Black Wardens almost a year ago and I was already back at killing people. It seemed like I lost my mind so many times, that I believed death could solve those problems. _How many more times must this happen till I find peace?_ I thought.

Looking down at my boots, I thought "Why do I still wear these things?"

The door turned and opened. I leapt out of bed in defensive stance, man I was on edge.

It was Lee, a little woozy but fully aware. "What's your beef?" he said sleepily. I sat back down and put my head against the wall. "It's nothing. Where have you been?" I said, needing to play the ignorant card with what happened.

"I'm not so sure, I remember getting to that party and having a few drinks." he said, sitting down in a chair. "A few too many if you ask me. We and bunch of others people passed out for some reason. When we woke up, the police questioned us but we didn't know what had happened so they let us go. You might not remember that. Not surprising considering that you fell asleep when they finished. I left ahead of you to get home." I explained.

He didn't think twice at my story's credibility. "That's really wierd. But get this: when I woke up, I was in a cab and **Kurumu Kurunu** was asleep in my **lap**." he said in an excited voice.

"Wow. I wonder how that happened." I said, keeping my voice free of sarcasm. "No idea. But before I could really enjoy the moment, she woke up busted me in the chops! Damn, she can really hit." he said, showing a large bruise on his mouth. "I guess she can." I said, not thinking anything of it. I was thinking of what a great week it's been for karma.

Lee continued mumbling things like "Amazing." and "How did she get in the car with me?" while I figured I'd just go back to sleep.

Another hour later I managed it, dreaming of nothing.

* * *

I apologize for how short this is, the next chapter will definately have more events.


	23. Chapter 23

The rays of the morning sun felt uncomfortable on my face. I turned on my side, but ended up falling face-down on the floor. What a great way to start the day.

I'd forgotten to set the alarm so Lee and I had slept in. "Man, that sure was stupid." I said to myself, getting up and feeling sore.

I changed into my normal clothes and went to shake Lee awake. "Hey! Wake up! We slept in! Class starts in ten minutes!" I said. He stirred but didn't get up. "Uhhhg. Five more minutes please, I was having an awesome dream about Kurumu." he groaned. _I don't have time for this._ I thought.

I went to other side of his bed and flipped the mattress. After a series of angry grunts Lee had gotten changed and we set off to class.

Finally we reached our normal seats in the lecture hall. Yukari saw me and sat down next to us.

"Where have you been? Class is almost over." she said. "We slept in." I said abruptly. "Yeah, mr. **punctule** here forgot to set the alarm. You should really learn how to be more responsible, man." he said in a stuck up tone.

"I'm not gonna dignify that with a response." I said in an annoyed voice. "But you just di..." he began, a washtub had fallen onto his head. He fell over in his chair.

"What the..." I exclaimed, looking up to see a plain white ceiling. I did see Yukari putting something back in her bag out the corner of my eye. "Where did that come from?" I said, not really concerned but curious.

"Every **freaking** time!" Lee said in a pained yell. The instructor took notice of our commotion. "Do you have a question, Mr. Suko?" he said.

"No sir, but could explain why these things keep falling down and hitting me whenever I'm near your class." Lee said, holding up the washtub. Everyone in the room except me, him, and Yukari laughed out loud.

The instructor chuckled, "Huh, well maybe you should change classes if metal objects from the sky bother you so much." he said. "Pfft, I don't need this." Lee said, getting up with his things and storming off.

The class died down after he left and the lesson resumed, though I noticed Yukari had a smug but slightly guilty look on her face for the rest of the time.

When class finished up I hung back to talk to her. She came over to where I was and we started walking.

"Wanna get some lunch, B.B.?" she said with a grin. "That must my new nickname." I said in a neutral tone. "You bet. It's shorter than 'big brother' or 'Jacob'. So do you?" she said.

"Sure, but only if you answer a few of my questions." I said, feeling we should be square with the Mizore, Tsukune, and washtub thing.

"And what would those be B.B.?" she said, still grinning. "First of all, remember when I mentioned someone named Mizii?" I said.  
"Yeah, why?" she asked.

"Well that was actually Mizore, she changed her name when she came to America and recently changed it back." I said.

"Oh, I see. And how is it you know Mizore?" she said with a raised eyebrow. "She's my girlfriend." I said, man I loved saying that. "So that's how it is, huh?" she said, looking miffed. "Yes Yukari, that's how it is." I said timidly, hoping this was the right move in telling Yukari all this.

"Also, I know what you went through in highschool. I know about Tsukune." I said. Her cheeks turned red at the sound of his name. "So, what about him?" she said, sounding shy. "That you, Mizore, and Kurumu followed him around for four years and he turned you all  
down." I said, still unhappy with the whole event.

"Oh...uh...yeah." she said, looking depressed. "I don't mean to bring up bad memories, I just want you know that I understand." I said, not wanting her to dwell on it. "Thank you for that." she said, sounding grateful.

"There's one other thing..." I began. I stopped and motioned Yukari into an empty classroom. Once we were inside, I shut the door. "Did you have something to do with that craziness during the lecture?" I said with a questioning look.

"What!? No! No, of course not...that's insane...magic's not even possible!" she ranted scaredly, which reminded me of Lee when I asked him if he was hiding anything.

Her words left me feeling empty-headed. "Uh...I didn't say anything about magic." I said. "Oh! Of course you didn't! Why would you! It's not like I made that washtub appear and fall on Lee's head!" she continued to rant, sounding very nervous.

Realizing her own thoughtlessness she covered her mouth with her hands. _She's a horrible liar, but then again how could she be telling the truth? _I thought.

"Is there something you're not telling me Yukari?" I said. She grabbed my shirt and shook her head. "Nonono, I can't tell if you! If I do you'll run away or worse. And I don't want to lose you as a friend or my big brother!" she said in a scared voice.

I began to connect the dots, and decided to take a shot in the dark. _If Kurumu knows, then perhaps..._ I thought. "Your friend, my girlfriend Mizore, I know she's a snow woman. I still accept her and I can accept you no matter what you are." I said.

My words definitely seemed to make an impact, she looked up into my eyes. "She...she showed you? And you didn't run away?" she said, sounding bewildered.

"No, I didn't. I get that most humans are dangerous and unpredictable, but I'm not like that." I said. "I...I suppose." she said. "Now, what is the truth Yukari?" I said. She let go and took a couple steps back.

"I...I'm...I'm a...a witch!" she said with great difficulty. "Huh." I said.

"What do mean 'huh'? I just told you I'm a witch!" she said, sounding almost annoyed. Truth be told, witches weren't that big of a stretch compared to snow women.

"I mean...can you prove it? Cuz I doubt witches have a true forms like snow women." I said. Magic was something I had stopped believing in a long time ago, and anyone could just **claim** to possess it.

"What do mean 'can I prove it'? I'm not some circus sideshow!" she said, getting angry. "It's not that, it's just that magic is something a person has to see for themselves in order to believe in. Am I wrong?" I said.

"I suppose your skepticism is understandable. I don't like using my powers on demand, that's all." she said, looking down at the floor. "If you prefer that I just accept it, that's fine. It'll be harder to believe though, even if I am open to the idea of monsters and witches." I said knowingly.

"Alright! Stand back!" Yukari yelled, pulling out what that thing that was on the ground in the alley.

"Wait, huh!?" I exclaimed. "You wanted a demonstration, I'll give you one." she said, raising her...wand...I suppose.

Yukari suddenly became surrounded by hundreds of glowing playing cards with wings. They moved in a synchronized pattern all around the room, tracing the air as they went. Then they faded away, and a small kettle materialized above my head. It hovered there for a moment before falling on it's target.

"Aaah! Dang it, that hurt!" I said. The kettle hit the floor and disappeared. "That was for doubting me!" Yukari pouted.

"Alright I definitely believe you now, but the kettle wasn't necessary." I said, rubbing my head. "Hmph! Says you." she pouted.

"Though, I really have to thank you." I said. "Thank me for what?" she said, looking confused. "It's been such a long time since I could believe in anything like what I just saw, it's brought back some childhood memories I'm very fond of. I thank you for making me feel that way again." I said truthfully, bowing.

"Oh...well, you're welcome I suppose." she said, surprised by almost all of my reactions. "So, wanna join your big brother for some lunch?" I said with a smile.

"Y...you mean it?" she said, astonished. "Sure, nothings really changed." I said with a smile.

"A...alright, let's go!" she said, smiling widely. She ran to my side and hugged my arm.

"Uuuh, you could just walk next to me." I said, feeling slightly uncomfortable with another girl holding onto me. "No way! I like being  
this close to you B.B." she said, grinning. We exited the classroom and went toward the dining hall.

Despite having a fourteen year old girl cling to my arm, I felt good, I always liked making people happy.

* * *

Great! Now he knows Yukari's a witch. See ya next time!


	24. Chapter 24

Thank you all for reading! Here's ch. 24

* * *

Yukari and I left for separate classes after lunch.

Truth be told, I was still getting used to the existence of monsters and the fact that Yukari was a witch made me question just how human everyone around me was.

_If both Mizore and Yukari aren't human, then is it possible Kurumu isn't?_ I thought while staring out the window of my history class.

_Maybe I should ask if I ever run into her again. On the other hand, she doesn't know me as well as Mizore or Yukari do, so she might not be as trusting._ I thought.

I decided to just push the thought from my mind for now and concentrate, I was already behind for missing class yesterday.

A half hour had passed before another psychological bombshell hit me. _Hang on a minute, aren't I meeting Mizore's parents in four days? _I thought. The memory had truly been lost about plans to meet with them, what with the deadly waiters, Mizore saying she loved me, and Yukari telling me she's a witch. _Oh man, now there's no way I'll be able to focus on school work!_ I thought.

My brain suddenly went off on a panic-stricken mental tirade. _What if they're super protective? What if they don't like me? What if they want to tear me apart for running around with their precious little girl!? Man, this is heavy stuff!_

I continued to think rather unencouraging thoughts until the signal was given to end class.

I was walking to my next class when Lee's voice rang out. "Duuuuuude!" he yelled, running at top speed to where I was.

He hunched over in exhaustion when he reached me, but only to spring up with a determined look on his face. "I just remembered something from the party!" he said. _Oh crap._ I thought.

"You know Kurumu don't you!?" he said in an excited voice. I let out a sigh of relief, "Oh...yeah...we're acquainted, sure." I said, pretty certain that we weren't anything else.

"Yes! You're the only one I know of whose on a first name basis with her." he said. "Why do you want to know?" I asked, but I  
was almost certain of what he was going to ask.

"I need you to hook me up with her." he said, looking quite distraught.

I didn't exactly know how to handle this kind of situation. "Uh...I don't know man. I mean, I'm not exactly one of her bffs. And didn't she punch you in that cab?" I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

Lee put his hands together and begged, "I could honestly care less. Come on man! Do this for me and I'll never ask for anything at all from you ever again." he said. "I sincerely doubt that." I said in a neutral tone. "Pleeeease!" he moped.

_Well, maybe him dating Kurumu would be a good thing. It'd definitely take him off MY hands. Now that I think about it, their personalities are pretty conducive to one another._ I thought. "I...guess I'll try." I said.

"Awesome! Thank you! Come find me at the computer store when your done." he said, taking off. "Hold on! I don't even know where she..." I yelled in his direction, he was oblivious though.

"Ugh, now what? She's not a student, so I can't look her up in the directory. I suppose if I talked to one of her friends...no...Yukari's in the middle of class and I have no idea where Mizore goes at this time." I thought out loud.

After thinking it over I decided it would be best to wait until I either ran into her or one of her friends, knowing my luck that would probably be soon.

The rest of the afternoon moved at a snail's pace, by the time my last lesson was over it was 5:00pm.

"Uhg, I'm bushed." I exclaimed, resting on a bench in the campus park. _And I still have to ask Kurumu about Lee._ I thought.

I sat on that bench watching squirrels run up the autumn trees and thought about how many extraordinary things had happened in such a short span of time.

Mizore had come into my life at exactly when I needed her. Before her I was filled with so much anxiety that it was almost suffocating. I had comforted her and her me, we had kissed, we said we loved one another. This all felt like some wonderful dream that I couldn't and didn't want to wake up from. "I really do love her." I said aloud.

Just then, I saw a spot of purple out of corner of my eye. I smiled and spoke out loud, "You know, I can't help but feel sitting with me would be preferable to following from the shadows." I said. "I know." said her voice from behind.

I jumped up in surprise, "Yah! You know most don't like to be snuck up on. I'm the exception!" I said, feeling that my day just improved tenfold.

"Funny. And that was just out habit." she said casually. "Figured as much, but I don't really mind. If anything it's kind of nice having a guardian snow angel around." I said, feeling really happy.

Before I knew it, she was hugging me. "Don't stop, keep the compliments coming." she said, smiling. I smiled back at her, she always made me feel whole, complete. Before I met her I was simply a husk of ideology, frustration, and anguish. Now, it felt as though my soul had a chance to recover, to find some peace.

"There's really nothing I can't compliment you on, Mizore." I said happily. We came together to kiss, and it was just as wonderful as all those prior.

"By the way, do you know Kurumu's phone number?" I said. And with that question, the mood was shot to hell. "Why?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and tightening her grip.

I then realized the terrible **terrible** mistake I had made in the dialog. A feeling of panic shot through me and I began ranting, "Nononononono! It'snothinglikethat! Ijustwantedtoaskherifshe'ddateLee!" I said in my panic.

"Is that the truth?" she said, tightening her grip a little more. "Yes! Yesitis! Fromthebottomofheart, **yes**!" I said, now believing that this was the tightest hug I've ever had.

After a moment of questioning the strength of my spine, Mizore conceded. "Alright, I believe you." she said, releasing her hands.

I took a much-needed intake of air and said with a smile "I still love you." She smiled cutely back, "Well I'd hope so." she said. Honestly, how could I ever blame her for anything?

"Anyway, here it is. But I want to be here when you make the call." Mizore said, holding out a scrap of paper. "Go ahead, I've got nothing to hide." I said honestly, taking the paper.

Mizore snuck up to my ear and said, "You know, me and her kissed once."

That sentence made me completely at a loss for words. "Wha...you...her...uh..." I stuttered, as a drop of blood came down my nostril.

"Oh, I'm sorry, would prefer that I kissed girls?" she said, referring to my nose. I quickly wiped it and began to panic again, "What!? No!? Of course not! I mean...were you and her...you know..." I said, wondering if either of them truly had those kinds of 'feelings'.

"Of course not, it was a one time spur-of-the-moment thing that meant nothing. I just thought I'd make you paranoid like you did with me." she said.

"That mission's been accomplished." I said in a bewildered voice. "So are you going to call her or not?" she asked.

I suddenly remembered what it was that I was doing. _I'll never be able to unhear that._ I thought as I dialed in Kurumu's number.

It was picked up almost immediately. "Helloooo, this is Kurumu Kurunu~!" said the very familiar voice. I sighed and tried to remember why I was doing this for **Lee** of all people.

"Hi Kurumu, it's Jacob." I said in a bored voice. "Woohoo! Hi Jacob! Did you change your mind~?" she said in her flirty voice. _C'mon just get it over with._ I thought.

"Uh...I was actually going ask if you'd..." I began. "Yes! Pick me up at eight~!" Kurumu said in a happy voice. "Whoah! Hold on a sec! Kurumu, I'm Mizore's boyfriend, remember?" I said, hoping to avoid another serious misunderstanding.

"Oh, you two are still lovey-dovey huh?" she said in disgruntled voice. "Yes Kurumu, we are still lovey-dovey. I was **going** to ask if you'd go out Lee." I said.

"Who?" she asked. _I don't believe this._ I thought. "You know...Lee? My roommate? The guy from the party?" I asked, really hoping she'd have **some** memory of him.

"Lots of guys were at the party." she said blandly. "The one who came up and yelled at me for knowing you? The one you told that you hit on me!? " I asked, getting frustrated.

"Oh yeah, I think I remember him. The one that fainted right?" she asked. "If you remember correctly, everyone was fainting." I said. "Hey, wasn't he the one that tried to make a move on me while I was asleep? Pfft, getting me in a cab while I was passed out, what a perv." she said, sounding very miffed.

I rubbed the back of my neck, "Uh...about that...I was kinda the one that put the two of you back there, when you were both unconscious." I said. "Did you think that was funny!?" she yelled. "No...uh...look it's complicated, will you at least consider going out with him?" I said, really wanting to prevent this from getting any more awkward.

Kurumu didn't sound very enthusiastic, "I don't know, I usually don't engage in pity dates." she said, sounding bored. I didn't know how much longer I could take this. "Look, he really likes you. I know him, he's gonna keep bugging me about it unless he gets positive answer. Plus, I really hate to be a douche, but you do owe me one, Kurumu." I said, realizing that I may have sounded like a pain in the ass.

"Geez, fine. Where and when?" she said. "Tomarrow around 6pm. Say...Angelos in Little Italy." I said, thinking of someplace nice.

"He can afford that place?" she said, sounding skeptical. "Sure can." I said, hanging up.

"So, who's still 'lovey-dovey' exactly?" Mizore asked cocking her head to the side. I had actually forgotten that she was there.

"Oh, sorry Mizore. That probably sounded pretty one-sided, right? I was saying that I didn't want to go out with her cuz you and me are a couple." I said. "Alright, good." she said, holding my hand.

We started walking through the park together, fall colors heavy all around us.

"So, are you sure your not into big-chested party girls?" she asked. "Are you sure your not?" I said jokingly. "Hmph." she said, walking off in another direction. "Wait! Hang on, Mizore! It was a joke! A **joke**!" I said in midst of another panic attack. I ran after her, but when I caught up, she was laughing.

* * *

Drama. Am I right? See y'all next time.


	25. Chapter 25

Believe it or not, Lee is one of the only characters in this story not based off someone or something. Anyway, here's another look into Jacob's past.

* * *

Four years ago...

"98...99...100. There, morning pull-ups over." I said, dropping down from my metal bar between two trees. "How the hell are you done!? I'm still on seventy!" said Jack from his own bar. "Don't know what's keeping you, I'm on ninety." said Howard from his.

"Hey fellas!" said Connor, who was coming into view. He was carrying his crossbow and pulling behind him a full buck from a rope.

"Man, your really getting good with that thing." I exclaimed, walking over to help him out. "Practice makes for perfect aim." he said proudly.

"We're gonna have to skin that thing aren't we?" Howard asked, jumping down to come see. "Well, that'll be an adventure all its own." I said happily.

I still thought it a miracle that we each managed to convince each other's parents to allow this camping trip. We had each told them that the other parents were shouffering so they needn't worry.

"You did good Connor, you've more than earned skipping a morning warm up." I said. "Well I'd hope so, do even know how hard it was to lug this thing back here?" he said. Connor may have been young, but he made up for it in initiative and spirit.

"Take a break, man. Jack, help me get this in the shed." I said. "Sure, I'm coming." he said, getting down after counting to eighty. Jack was a friend of Howard's, so I didn't know him that well. He had recruited him and I trusted Howard's judgement, so I trusted Jack. We picked it up and carried it to the shed behind the two-story cabin.

When that was done we met up in front and made plans for the day. "Alright, we're gonna do target practice till noon, then sparring, then an end of the day run. Got it?" I said. "Yes sir!" they all said jokingly, being that we were all the same rank. This kind of regime would probably wear anyone out within a day, and it had, but we'd been doing this for a month so we were accustomed to it.

We were in the forested hills of Pennsylvania, with a cabin we had rented out with a donated sum from each of our parents.

"How many rounds do we each get?" asked Howard, as we trekked over the nearest rise. "I'd say ten, that'll be enough. And we'll use  
the HK's this time." I said, carrying the ammo pack over my back.

"Let me guess...semi-auto?" Howard said in a let down voice. "Going full-auto with ten bullets wouldn't improve your accuracy." Connor said. "Who said anything about accuracy?" Howard said jokingly.

"Your uncle really doesn't miss any of this stuff?" I asked. "Nope. Didn't even have to ask. When he heard that we were going camping he wanted to give us as much 'hunting equipment' as we needed." Jack said.

We hiked for about fifteen minutes before reaching our 'firing range', which was just a big clearing with some stumps and a wrecked car in it.

Connor set up a dozen soup and soda cans on the car while Jack inspected the weapons. Howard and I set to work loading the magazines.

When it was all finished, we moved back another hundred yards. We weren't using scopes, better to practice with iron sights.

"Alright, we each have three cans. The one to walk away with the most bullets left in their clip wins. Loser has to gut the buck." I said as we lined up and took aim. "Sounds good to me!" said Howard.

We each fired three shots, no one missed their mark. This month of training had really paid off, before this there was no we'd hit them all.

"Well...now what?" asked Connor. "I suppose...we could all chip in. But let's not worry about that now." I said, picking up the shell casings. Howard went to collect the cans while the other two helped me.

After it was all collected and stowed we set down our gear and went a little further back into a shady area nearby. We had cleared it of brush and small trees our first week.

"Alright, let's go with blitzkrieg today." I said. "Let's do this!" Howard yelled.

We broke into pairs and faced directions ninety degrees apart. Then we sprinted with our partners through the woods in different directions. We stopped about three hundred yards later and faced our partners.

Howard took a hard right swing at me, but I stopped him at the forearm. I did a roundhouse kick, but he blocked it with his elbow. He tried to get me in a submission hold, but I slid out and jabbed him twice in the ribs. Whenever we sparred it was always full contact. Always stopping for respect of another's injury or submission.

He recoiled a bit, but came round with an elbow to the collar-bone. I stumbled back and he came in for another blow. I moved my head out of the way and grabbed his wrist. I turned around and pulled hard on his arm, causing him to tumble over my shoulder. While he  
was sprawled on the ground I made a swift punch at his face, but stopped short. "If this were for real, you'd be unconscious or dead right now." I stated.

Howard made a fast side-kick to my shin and I collapsed too. He brought his forearm down across my neck and pinned me. "Now who's unconscious or dead?" he said, getting up and offering a hand. I took it and he pulled me to my feet. "I know, I know. I hesitated and you took advantage of the situation. But I only did that because if I hadn't hesitated I'd have to carry you over my shoulder all the way back." I said, dusting myself off.

"True that. Let's get going." he said, grinning. Howard was the first one to join the Black Wardens, he was patient, loyal, if not a little headstrong and 'guns blazing character.

"I wonder if Connor beat Jack?" Howard said. "It doesn't matter. The way we've all committed to training this whole month, there isn't a gang-banger or punk in the world that could take us down!" I said confidently.

Three years later...

It was raining. How appropriate it seemed for a funeral, as if the earth itself wept for a lost child.

His family hadn't expected such a large following, being ignorant of what he had truly helped accomplish in life.

Comrades and friends alike had come to pay respects. Howard and I were standing near the front with umbrellas as the coffin was lowered into the ground. "So young...why him?" I thought aloud.

A hand fell on my shoulder, it was my brother Tonial. "All the more important to keep him alive our hearts." he said. I truly appreciated his words, but they didn't make a difference.

"He was a good friend, but it's my fault this happened." I said. "How could a mugging possibly be your fault?" he said. I bit my lip, lying came with my position, but it hurt so damn much.

"Just shut up. You don't know anything." I said, holding back the tears. Howard gave me a quick glance. I had to be strong for the rest of them, show that he didn't die in vain. "May he be remembered as he was...a soldier, a leader, a friend." I said.

Howard nodded in agreement. Tonial gave me a questioning look but decided not to say anything. "Jack too...may his soul rest in peace." I finished. It had already been a year since **that** funeral. Howard nodded again.

All Black Wardens in the crowd stayed long after the others had left, we knew better than anyone to honor the dead.

After the tombstone we donated had been erected, I laid his weapon over the grave. Those of us that remained took a knee and extended an arm to the ground, and the other arm across our chest.

I rose and turned around, the eyes of all my comrades were on me. I nodded, and so did they. They all went back to their cars.

I faced Howard and said, "The forest just seems like a lifetime ago doesn't it?" The rain had gotten heavier. "Yeah, sure does." he said, looking at the tombstone.

"Well, knowing him he'd want us spending less time around his grave and more time 'gett'n stuff done'." I said, forcing a smile.

"Yeah, your right. Are you coming with everyone else to HQ?" he asked. "I'll be there in a minute." I said, turning to face the fresh grave.

He left and I knelt before the stone. "When you see Jack, tell him it's my fault. And I hope to God that you died before seeing what was in that chair." I said, letting a few tears drop down my face.

We had found out the girl was an orphan, so she didn't have any next of kin. We had held a small service and had her buried in a flower bed.

"If there's a heaven, go to the bar, you'll get a great view of me burning in Hell." I said, closing the umbrella and letting the rain cloak my many tears.

* * *

Such grief. After everything that's happened he questions his own morals and ideals.


	26. Chapter 26

I apologize for the break between this and last chapter. Life, right?

* * *

We had walked out of the park and were heading toward times square, not that we'd get there before dark but the route was nice enough.

Mizore spent the rest of the afternoon teaching me about the monster world. She seemed more than happy to tell me, even though it was all secret. How most monsters live peacefully among humans without them knowing. She told me that there were hundreds of different kinds, covering every kind of myth and legend I've ever heard and then some.

"So where do you come from? When we met, you said you from Japan." I asked, really just wanting to get to know her more. "Well, that was the half-truth. My people live on a secluded mountain range in the monster world. The entrance is in Japan." she said. "Oh, I see." I said, wondering how comfortable you could really be living in the mountains all your life.

"Are there schools in the monster world?" I asked. "Yes. You've already met Yukari and Kurumu, they along with Tsukune and a few others went to a school for monsters called Youkai Academy with me." she said.

"Ah, so Kurumu **is** a monster." I said, wondering how Lee might take that (not that I'd tell him). "What kind?" I asked. "A succubus." she answered rather abruptly. "Oh yeah, that does sound like her." I said, thinking of how many awkward positions she put me in.

"Tsukune was a special case at our school." she said. "How so?" I asked, feeling like I should know more about **him** as well. "He was human." she said. I wasn't expecting that.

"But, he went to a school for monsters." I stated, trying to think just how that could've happened. "Yes, it was all a mix-up. We kept his secret since any human found on the grounds would be executed." she said as if it were common knowledge.

I was taken aback at this. "That seems...a bit harsh don't you think? I mean, do monsters really hate humans that much?" I said, thinking that it was actually pretty sad. Mizore looked slightly embarrassed, "Well...yeah they kinda do. My perspective changed after learning that Tsukune was human. I figured that it really didn't matter what world someone came from, as long as they're good." she said.

"That's true, neither people or monsters should judge each other based on what they are." I stated honestly, feeling that all the hate and fear was senseless. After all, if a monster could be someone as great as Mizore, I'd gladly accept all the rest.

"So did he tell you all that he was human after becoming his friends?" I asked. Mizore looked at the ground, "No. Me, Kurumu, and Yukari had no idea he was human until he was forced to confess." she said.

"Hold on, so he just kept it from you? For how long?" I asked, really holding Tsukune's character in low regard. "Almost a year. But he was scared that we would turn him in. He would've been killed if word got out." she said. "But you were his friends! He should've trusted you more than that!" I said. No one understood the bonds of trust and friendship like I did.

"There was one he did tell. It was a girl named Moka, she was the first person he met at Youkai." she said, looking a little depressed. "So he trusted Moka and no one else?" I asked. "She **was** the one he chose in the end." she said, now looking quite sad.

I shook my head, "Friendship shouldn't work that way! You were all his friends, he should have told you all way earlier. I've only known you for less than a week Mizore, but I trust you with my life." I said seriously. She blushed, that had most certainly cheered her up. "I feel the same." she said.

I smiled, "That makes me glad. No matter how happy Tsukune thinks he is now with Moka, choosing you would've made all the difference in the world...for both of us." I said, thinking about what I would actually be doing now if I hadn't met Mizore.

"Jacob..." she began, wrapping her arms around my neck. She smiled as she looked into my eyes, "I **am** happy that Tsukune chose Moka. Because like you said, we wouldn't have met." she said. "Mizore..." I began. And our lips met in a cold embrace for a wonderfully long time.

We only came apart for air. As we both panted I looked at my watch, it was 6:54pm. "Wanna get some dinner?" I asked, actually feeling pretty hungry. "That sounds good." she said, still smiling. We got some salads at a greek place nearby and went for ice cream afterword.

As we walked down the sidewalk, hand in hand, I remember something. "Ah geez, I forgot to call Lee about his date tomorrow. He doesn't even know she said yes yet." I said with a chuckle. "I bet he's been freaking out this whole time." I continued, pulling out my phone.

Soon enough, Lee's hysteric voice came over the phone. "Dude! What the hell!? You left me hanging for like, two hours!" he said, sounding very distressed. "Yeah, sure, it's not like I was doing anything important." I said sarcastically.

"Cut it out man! Now what did Kurumu say?" he said, sounding extremely nervous. "Your meeting her at Angelo's tomorrow at six." I said. "What? No way, that's awesome! Thank...wait a minute. Angelo's? That super expensive place in little italy!? Why there!?" he said, with a mixture of joy and concern.

"Well, she wasn't all that enthusiastic about going out with you. When she asked where to meet I said Angelo's because I'm pretty sure most of her suitors don't take her to places that nice, plus a fancy dinner itself is always a good 'wow factor'. Honestly, you're gonna need all the help you can get if you really want to go out with her again. I actually had to call in a favor to get her to agree, so your odds are bad as it is." I explained. "But that place is way out of my price-range! The soup is **thirty bucks** for crying out loud!" he said.

"I **could** just call Kurumu and cancel." I warned. "No! Urgh! Look, can you please just spot me some money for this date? There's no way I'll be able to pay for it all." he admitted. "I thought you were done asking me for stuff." I said sarcastically. "Come on! Please! You got me into this position so help me out!" he said.

"You got yourself into this position! I went out of my way to ask Kururmu on that date for you, now you want me to pay for it!? I don't owe you anything! **You** owe **me** big time!" is what I really wanted to say. Instead I sighed, said "Sure.", and hung up.

Mizore looked concerned, "Why do let him do that? He obviously doesn't appreciate everything you do him." Mizore asked. I looked at the ground and said "Mizore, I owe him so much more than you think." in a sad voice.

"Why? What did he do for you?" she asked. "It's not about what he did for me, it's about what I did to him." I replied. "What did you do to make yourself feel so obligated to help him so much?" she asked. I wished she hadn't asked that, the memory was a painful one.

"Mizore..." I said, feeling the burden sink into my chest. "I killed his father."


	27. Chapter 27

It was my last job for the Black Wardens, not that I knew at the time.

It was mid-morning in the suburbs of Cinncinati, I was laying low in a church bell-tower. The church itself used an electric chime, making the actual bells sit there unused and unchecked, this made it an ideal vantage point.

In the past three or so years my soul felt as though it had aged tenfold, growing scarred and sad.

I had a dragnov rifle laying next to me, and was wearing a plain black track suit with black gloves. The cigarette in my mouth was burning low, I hadn't bothered to inhale for several minutes.

Looking at my watch it was 6:12am, the target would be coming up the street for his morning run soon. I was just there to provide cover fire, make sure the intercepter wasn't in danger. We were trying to capture and question a man suspected of bribing public officials on the behalf of a third party.

I picked up the gun and raised it to shoulder level. Looking down the scope I saw my subordinate waiting behind a fence, once the target got in close he had been instructed to tazer him and put him in the van parked nearby. I really didn't plan on using my gun, I figured this was a simple 'finish and leave' operation. "I just want to go home." I had said quietly to myself. But I couldn't leave yet, people were counting on me.

A man in a yellow sweat suit came jogging down the sidewalk. He didn't see me, no one could. He crossed the street toward the black van that was laying in wait. Once he was across I trained my sights on him, letting muscle memory take hold.

My man jumped from behind the fence and darted towards him. The runner saw him coming and drew a .22 revolver, stopping the interceptor in his tracks. I most certainly wasn't about to lose another soldier due to my own incompetence, so I pulled the trigger.

His body tumbled over like a doll, my man followed protocol and jumped in the van. It drove away, leaving the mess behind. The bullet had gone through his temple and blood was pooling around the corpse. "Another cold lead." I said to myself.

I began to pack up my rifle, but not before I saw a young man come running up the street. I was at least a hundred yards away but I could still hear him "Daaaad!" the boy screamed.

"God no..." I had said, now realizing that I had orphaned someone's boy. He couldn't have been any older than I was. I didn't understand, we had checked to see for any living kin or children but nothing came up. There was nothing I could do, so I ran away.

I did research and found out that the man had kept the fact he had a son secret in case someone came after him for his work, and that he had been planning to quit. The guilt was unbearable, people had suffered too many times because of me. I told Howard that I was quitting, and that he was in charge.

Before I left I ordered that the boy be watched, made sure that he was cared for. The Black Wardens worked hard to follow my final wish, getting him counseling and support to move past the tragidy. They went so far as to pay off the college board so that he got into whatever school he wanted.

It was pure coincidence that we became roommates. I was against it from the beginning but felt that I could probably do more to help him. He doesn't know and he never will, for him to learn that his best friend had killed his father would destroy him all over again.

"I want to make sure he finds lasting happiness, it's the only thing that can truly heal him after what I did." I said to Mizore. Like with all my other stories, Mizore simply listened. She didn't make implication of blame, disgust, or fear, only pity.

"Do you want to know why I did all this, Mizore? Why it is that formed the Black Wardens? It's because I held onto a childish belief that everyone could somehow be made happy in this world. But the harder I tried, the more people were brought into despair. To this day I think of how many other countless children I might've orphaned, how many families I've left emptier." I said as a few tears fell down my face.

"I honestly believe that I don't deserve you, Mizore. It probably would've been better if you hadn't met me. I can't remember why I thought otherwise." I said as more tears fell.

I was so busy wallowing in self-pity that I failed to notice Mizore had wrapped her arms around my back. When I looked up, there she was, with that beautifully smile on her face, and a hand on my cheek. "Stop being an idiot. It's not childish at all to want people to be happy. I already told you that I don't care about what you've done, I never cared. You're not the only one who's seen people suffer." she said.

That made me smile, _Of course she'd say that. I remember, this is why I loved her. How she could take a wreck like me and still make it feel wonderful._ I thought.

"Thank you Mizore, I still don't think I deserve you though." I said, wiping my eyes. "Your welcome. I do hope that Lee and Kurumu hit it off tomorrow, it seems that they've **both** been hurt enough." she said.

"I suppose so." I said, looking up at the stars. "I guess we should go home now." I said. "Yeah, sure." she replied, though looking slightly disappointed for some reason. We did a quick kiss goodnight and parted.

* * *

Man, school's been a drag. And I've got an ACT in the morning. I'll see you all next time.


	28. Chapter 28

I appreciate everyone's notes on the story. You made some very level-headed concerns and I am glad you did.

I am in my senior year of highschool so I don't get that much time to prepare long chapters.

I understand that Mizore and Jacob's relationship is moving a bit too quickly. The reason for this is that Jacob felt less than nothing after quitting the Black Wardens, so he really wanted to meet someone who understood and could comfort him, but he never really thought that would happen. Mizore was still reeling from Tsukune not choosing her so she gladly opened up at the sight of genuine affection.

Jacob is 19 when in college. I'm gonna elaborate on the whole Black Warden situation, but most of it needs to come with a suspension of disbelief. First: All weapons and equipment the Black Wardens use are purchased from the black market, who's inventory is imported from every country in the world and consists of third-party manufacturers making it almost untraceable. Second: The inital seed money came from Jacob's inheritance from his grandparents. After which their capital steadily grew from raiding gang hideouts and drug labs back when it was just the four of them. Third: As for Jacob's skill level without military training, the four of them spent three months in the wilderness in the summer rigorously conditioning their bodies for the long road ahead. They got their training and weapon info from web pages, self-defense manuals, and instructional videos. Fourth: This all occurred over the course of four years, Jacob and his friends hired messengers to spread word of recruitment via social media websites and the slums of major cities. Fifth: All operations took place in several Northeastern states, allowing them to be within driving distance and go overlooked by parents (the recuits also included many rebellious teens).

Any way...there you have. Everything else is indeed suspension of disbelief. Enjoy chapter 28.

* * *

The dorm room looked just the same as ever, it seemed a little strange considering how much that had happened. Lee was still out, so I threw my stuff onto the floor and undressed.

"Mizore took Lee's story pretty well." I thought aloud, getting into the shower. _But I guess that's just her way. She justifies what I did with what seems to be little difficulty, like she doesn't want to believe I'm capable of wrongdoing._ I thought.

Cold water flowed over the scars that dotted my chest, upper arms, and back. My hands felt over each one as I could easily recall where and when they were added. I'd carry every cut, stab, bite, and bullethole till I die. Each one marks a time where I learned something new, more experience gained to enhance my skills. I was nineteen years old, and had probably seen more than most would in ten lifetimes.

"I really hope this doesn't change, I've finally met someone who can accept what I've done and still look at me with affection. I'll protect her from anything, in lue of those that I couldn't." I said to myself, knowing full well that nothing could repair all the damage to life done on my part.

Shutting the water off, I felt emotionally exhausted.

I thought about Mizore, Yukari, and Kurumu. It hadn't taken as long as I thought to accept the existence of monsters, but then again it didn't seem to matter that much. Compared to Mizore, I was the real monster. "Mizore really doesn't deserve someone like me, but she obviously doesn't agree. Love's a funny thing, eh?" I thought aloud, smiling.

Climbing into bed I wondered again what meeting Mizore's parents would be like, what they thought of me already, whether or not they approved of me and her dating. Soon my mind drifted off into a lake of random thoughts, and sleep took me.

I dreamt of something very new that night, something strange. I found myself in a long, dim hallway.

candles hung on the walls and the air felt quite warm. The hall itself looked like it belonged in a mansion of some kind, paintings of blurred images hanging at even intervals along the wall. It was all very wierd but felt homely for some reason.

"This is obviously a dream..." I said in a very quiet, slurred dream speak. "Well done old chap!" said a rather high british accent that scared me silly.

Spinning around to face what it was, I saw a very large, noble-looking bird. It had a heavy covering of orange and red feather that moved to give the illusion that they were burning. The face showed a pair of bright emerald eyes and a sharp, black beak. "Your probably the first person I've met in long time to deduce that so quickly!" it said in that same, upbeat tone.

This being a dream I didn't think much of it all. "It's better than my usual nightmares." I stated to the bird who had a very sweltering aura. "Ah yes, those nightmares of yours. On that note, can tell me exactly where it is we are?" the bird said.

"Don't you know?" I said in a bored voice. It chuckled rather warmly and said, "Well of course I know where we are! But what sort of path to self discovery would it be if I just **told** you everything?" I sighed, why was my head doing this?

Feeling that this conversation was pointless but nonetheless stimulating I decided to let it drag out. "Who and/or what are you anyway?" I asked. "My question fir-irst!" it sang.

This bird was starting to get on my nerves. "Ugh. I don't know. This is **my** dream, so I can assume we're in my head?" I said. The bird chuckled more, "Now what makes you so sure this is **your** dream? I could be the one imagining **you** in **my** sleep, old chap! But at any rate, your technically correct. We **are** in your head, more specifically your brain, even **more** specifically your hall of memories." it said.

"Huh. And you are?" I asked. "Ah, you never forget a promise do you? Fortunately, neither do I. My name is Felix, I am a phoenix." he said proudly. I took a moment to let that sink in.

"So you're a monster?" I asked. "Well...yes, but I'm more of an entity. Much like angels, demons, or dragons. More powerful and less restricted in form than regular monsters." Felix explained. "Do you have a human form?" I asked. The phoenix looked a little miffed. "I find this form to be more than sufficient." he said.

Deciding to drop the matter I turned toward the hall. "You said something about my memories?" I asked. "Indeed. You see this mansion represents who you are as a person, and each picture points to a significant event in your life. Doesn't it feel like home? That's because the decor is exactly tuned to your personality. Valor, loyalty, affection, but also painful, dark, and anxious. Your traits, am I wrong, old chap?" he said.

"Why am I here? Why are **you** here?" I asked. "I've brought you into your own mind to warn you, that your life is nearing its apex. Climax, if you prefer. And once it passes, everything will change for better or worse. I realized this when you became aware and involved in the monster world. Such occurrences mark the beginning of something grand, and I want in on the ground floor!" he said excitedly.

_This is too weird._ I thought. "One more thing; you keep calling me 'old chap' when we just met, why is that?" I said. He looked at me with what I guessed was a grin and said, "But we indeed **have** known each other awhile, I've been watching you for quite some time now."

I didn't understand, "But why? Doesn't a phoenix have better things to do then keep track of some **loley** human's life?" I said, forgetting that this was a dream. "Now **that** is a question! You see, entities such as myself are immortal so boredom is a constant battle. Occasionally I'll look for people who have a good 'story' per say, and observe its progress. Occasionally I've even been known to give them a 'nudge' in the direction." he said.

Thunder began to rumble somewhere in the background. "Well, it looks like we're out of time." Felix said, spreading his wings and soaring away down the hall. "Hang on! I still have questions!" I called out. An echoing voice responded, "We'll keep in touch." it said.

I awoke to see my partly lit dorm room, the sun was just starting to rise outside the windows. Lee was passed out in his bed. The clock read exactly one minute before it was set to go off. I pulled out the cord and laid back down, sweating. "What the hell kind of dream was that?" I said aloud.

Feeling something hot in my hand I looked down. Inside was a long, bright-red feather.

* * *

The story takes an interesting turn indeed! Goodbye for now.


	29. Chapter 29

Sorry this took so long, senior year's been Hell. Here's ch.29

* * *

A maple leaf fell on my shoulder. The park was indeed a peaceful place I came often to settle troubling matters in my head.

I took a deep breath and attempted to touch the base of the feather once more. As I did my finger felt unbearably hot and I pulled it away again. "Argh! How can it still be like this!? Its been in my pocket all day!" I said to myself.

I had refrained from telling anyone including Mizore about the feather or my dream (although I hadn't seen her since yesterday). Not when Lee yammered on about how he'd 'woo' Kurumu on their date and not when Yukari spoke in detail about her note taking strategies for class. I didn't want them to think I was crazy or God forbid scare them.

Out of curiosity I took the leaf on my shoulder and touched it to the feather, holding it like a quill to paper. Within an inch of each other the leaf shriveled up in a pile of embers. _There's definitely no way that was **just** a dream._ I thought. The phoenix had obviously given me this to show that I hadn't imagined the whole thing.

He said he'd been watching me for awhile, for how long exactly? Was he watching me now? Was it from my own mind or some other place beyond my field of vision? My eyes drifted every which way, half-expecting to see a huge red bird eyeing me like a hawk.

After a minute or so I took a deep breath and felt it was best to calm down, paranoid thoughts never gave anyone peace (though I most certainly wasn't one to talk).

I wasn't even sure why I was carrying the feather around. What was it about last night that I was trying to cling to? And what was the deal with that whole 'self discovery' and 'apex of my life' stuff? That phoenix sure did act like it knew everything about me. This day had felt like one long rerun of a tv show except with an added element, that warm glow in my pocket the whole time.

Deciding to head back I stood up straight and called, "Mizore! If you're around you can walk home with me!" No response, "Huh. I guess she's not following me today." I concluded.

The walk itself was peaceful enough, aside from the honks and occasional loud music from stereos and street performers.

On the way I realized that I still hadn't asked Mizore some basic questions, like her phone number or birthday. "Well, next time I see her." I concluded, walking past the alley where I helped Yukari.

Just then a strong hand grabbed me by the collar and pulled me into the alley. It threw me several feet and I hit a dumpster. God that was painful, and it screwed up my vision too.

As I laid there, face down and disoriented on the concrete I heard my attackers speak. "Well that was easier than I thought." said a boy's voice.

"Shall we proceed?" an adult male's voice said. "Yes, get him further down this way while I ready the injection. Lord Xandlr will be quite pleased this was done without difficulty." the boy said. "Y...yes." the man said reluctantly.

After pulling me further around the back corner he forced me to my knees and pinned my arms behind my back. My vision came into focus: a young boy of perhaps twelve with spiky red hair, wearing a black leather coat and a sword on his belt, was opening a metal briefcase on the ground in front of me. He also appeared to have black veins that branched partway over his face.

From what I could tell the large man holding me down was wearing a turtleneck and had long black hair. He had a grim expression in contrast to the boy who had a look of excitement and anticipation.

The younger of the two pulled out an old glass and metal syringe filled with some sort of black substance. _That can't be good._ I thought.

Struggling with all my might made no difference, this guy was just too strong. I had taken beatings like this before but it was never this effective.

"This going to hurt...allot" warned the man, with the smallest hint of concern.

The boy proceeded with a wicked smile to put the needle level with my sternum and pushed forward. What happened next contained the greatest volume of earthly pain I had ever experienced. It actually hurt so much that I couldn't scream.

As the needle pushed further past my breastbone and into my heart, my entire body writhed in agony. My very blood seemed to boil and seethe with malice at the touch of that liquid. My veins felt like they were filling with lead. Whatever that stuff was, it was positively unholy.

The boy continued to push further till it was halfway empty, my chest feeling as though it was about to give out. Was this how it ends? Having my heart burst at the hands of people I didn't even know?

I was beginning to lose consciousness when an ice kunai came from above and smashed through the syringe, spilling the vile substance over the ground. In his moment of surprise my captor's grip loosened, allowing me to summon my remaining strength and break free.

Mizore landed nearby in her monster form. I jumped up and stumbled to her side. My attackers stood up, the shock having worn off.

"Ah, that explains it. You're a snowman." said the boy. "Perhaps we should pull back and report this, the injection was half-complete after all." said the man, looking at his partner.

"No, I want to see what's so special about this guy. Fight him, I'll handle the girl." the boy said, drawing his short katana. "But sir..." he began. "I am your **master**! Now do as your **told**!" the boy shouted. The man looked down and said, "As you wish." looking defeated.

"Who are you people!?" I shouted angrily. The boy seemed eager to answer. "We are representatives of an organization known as Fairy Tale and servants of the great Lord Xandlr. My name is Guy Laison and this is my guardian, Murudo." he said. The pain in my chest began to dull down but I didn't know if I could fight them in my current state.

"What did you bastards do to me!?" I shouted. "Bestowed Lord Xandlr's favor upon you, at least that's what we were told. Whatever it is, it must be a huge honor. He told us to value that syringe as if our lives depended on it. Personally I don't know why he picked you over myself." the boy said. His partner gave a sideways look at him.

I turned to my guardian angel, "Thank you Mizore, but you should probably get put of here." I warned her. "Does it really look like I'm going to do that?" she said with a serious face. "I don't care! I'm not putting you in dan..." I was cut short by a strong punch to the diaphragm.

I hadn't even turned my head for a few seconds and Murudo had managed to get in close enough to knock the wind out of me. Recovering fast I grabbed his arm and swung it with all my might. That ended with Murudo sailing into a brick wall and making a much larger impact then expected.

When he fell to the ground, the wall had several large cracks from the force. "What the..." I said, shocked at my apparent strength. Mizore's gaping expression caused her sucker to fall to the ground.

Murudo got to his feet, shaken but not hurt that much. "How did you do that?" he said, steadying himself. "No human should be able to stand after a hit like that, let alone throw me against a wall with such force." he said.

"It appears we've underestimated them." said the boy's voice nearby. I did a one-eighty and saw him right next to a shocked Mizore. "Your not human, are you?" I said. "We're part of Fairy Tale's special operations unit. A division made up entirely of monsters." he said, swinging his sword horizontally. Mizore was able to block it with her ice claws. I moved to help but just then I had to duck as Murudo threw a punch at my face.

My body felt strange, a minute ago I was on my knees and close to passing out; now I was on par with the likes of a monster. He was fast, but somehow I was able to read his movements and react accordingly. In contrast to Guy he moved and struck like a seasoned warrior, leaving me to wonder why **he** was the one being told what to do.

After knocking him back with a good kick I turned around to see how Mizore was doing. Guy sure had a monster's speed but he was no trained swordsman. His amateurish swings were blocked at every turn by Mizore's ice claws. She certainly knew how to handle herself in a fight, must come with growing up in the monster world. "Shouldn't a little boy like you be at home?" said Mizore, deflecting another one of his attacks.

"Enough! I'll turn into sashimi, you ice b****!" he shouted. _Geez, the mouth on this kid._ I thought.

Suddenly, his arms became engulfed in flames. His hair had turned a living inferno and it spread around his blade.

With his aura amplified I felt it was similar to that of the phoenix, though far less intense.

Now Mizore looked worried, shielding her face from the heat. "Mizore!" I yelled, taking a step away from my fight. Before I could even get close, Misudo appeared in front of me and said "Keep your eyes on your opponent." as if scolding a pupil.

He turned his head and yelled "Master Laison! Xandlr told us not to use our powers!" Guy gave him a bitter look, "Shut up! What Lord Xandlr doesn't know won't hurt him. I'm going to show these insolent fools what true pain is!" he said, his flames growing more intense. As it did I saw that his sword was getting red-hot, and I figured how to get him out of the fight without killing him.

"I'll have to incapacitate his partner first." I thought, using a surprising amount of speed to grab Murudo's wrists. I then attempted to high kick him in the jaw, but miscalculated and ended up hitting him in the groin with my shin.

He keeled over and said "That was a dirty trick!" I despised using such cheap methods to win a fight, but in the end it did work. "Whatever, it can't be worse than having a needle forced into your chest." I said, turning to help Mizore.

Guy's red-hot sword was beginning to melt through Mizore's claws, she looked quite distressed. I pulled her out of the deadlock and said "Mizore, focus all your freezing powers on his sword. I'll take care of the rest." She nodded and regained her composure, focusing her energy into a concentrated blizzard.

I dashed over to Guy, gripped him around the neck with one arm, and held out his sword arm with the other. "Now!" I shouted, as her focused flurry blanketed the katana.

I knocked him to the ground, grabbed his sword, held it diagnol to the ground, and stomp down with all my might. The sword was broken in two, and Guy was sitting on the ground dumbstruck.

I picked him up by the collar and shook him forcefully. "**What the hell is wrong with you**!?" I shouted at him. "You're just a kid! Why the hell are you swinging a sword around and preaching about some guy named Xandlr!? Why!? What's making you so damn loyal and psychotic!?" I continued to shout.

Then something happened that I hadn't expected given his behavior; he began to cry. It was then that I noticed the black lines had vanished from his face.

"I...I...I'm sorry!" he said, more tears streaming from his eyes.

"I never wanted any of this. I just wanted to be the best of the best! Xandlr said that katana would increase my power beyond belief. Ever since I took it I've been unceasingly loyal to him, even when he's asked me to do horrible things. I couldn't have disobeyed if I wanted to." he explained through the tears.

"My...Lord..." said Murudo, smiling and crying manly tears. "Your **baaaack**!" he exclaimed, grabbing the boy and swinging him around in a bear hug. "I'm so sorry! If I'd known Xandlr was controlling you with that katana, I'd have smashed myself! Please forgive me for not acting on my instinct!" he said, while I stood there dumbfounded.

"Wait, what are you talking about? Don't you serve Fairy Tale too?" I asked. "Of course not! I am only loyal to Lord Laison, whom I have looked after since infancy!" Murudo said, putting the sobbing boy down. "**I** must be the one to ask **your** forgiveness, Murudo. You went along with all those awful things I did, and out of loyalty to me. I'm a disgrace to the family name!" Guy cried.

"Don't say that! If anyone is to blame for what happened it is Xandlr and myself, I failed you as a guardian and do not deserve your forgiveness!" the sobbing man said.

I stood there marveling at the two individuals who moments ago were my opponents, now crying aloud apologies to one another. Mizore was pretty mellow with all this, though was not used to seeing such a display.

When they finished their rants, they both faced me on their knees and Guy said "You have my deepest and sincerest apologies! I am at your service, following you into the depths of Hell if need be!" His guardian concurred "And I owe you my life for freeing the young lor...urgh!" Murudo said, hunching over his 'wound'. "I...think we're about even." I said tentatively.

Then I turned my gaze to the two halves of a sword and went to retrieve them. As I bent over to pick it up Mizore called out "Be careful!"

I grinned and said "Don't worry. If I go crazy you'll freeze me right?" She wasn't amused, "Don't joke about that! We don't even know how it was able to overwhelm Guy." she said worriedly.

I picked up the two pieces and felt some kind of sinister energy rushing up my arm. It spread to my brain and was trying to manipulate my thoughts. Something kept it from getting too far though, blocking it from the inner recesses of my mind.

"Give me something to put this in quick!" I said. Murudo tossed me the suit case that was nearby. I pulled out the shock-absorbing foam and threw the peices inside. After I slammed the case shut I took a deep breath, "Just what the hell was that?" I said. They all just shrugged their shoulders and I sighed.

* * *

I shall work diligently on the next chapter! Now I sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

My apologies for how long this took. I truly appreciate your viewing of this written work. Enjoy Ch. 30!

* * *

We all walked as a group down the street. It was really strange having these people whom minutes ago we were fighting tooth and nail, now hang around us like old friends.

Murudo had volunteered to carry the briefcase, no one complained.

There were many unaswered questions, but I had to tackle them one at a time. "What kind of monsters are you two?" I asked.

"I'm a fire demon, Murudo here is a wood nymph." Guy said. "We didn't catch your name, friend." said Murudo. "Uh, it's Jacob." I responded.

"So where are you guys from?" I asked. "Ember village in the monster world." said Guy. "Lord Laison's family is the governing power there." Murudo said.

"So...you're a prince?" I asked, half joking. "Young Lord." Guy corrected. "Yes, this is not the dark ages. Though it is typical for the eldest son to inherit his father's place in the community, and in this case it's the village elder." Murudo explained. Guy looked at the ground, "Someone who represents the wisdom and strength of his people." he said solemnly.

"Elder? Just how old is your father?" I asked. "I honestly don't know, whenever an elder-to-be comes of age he..." Guy stopped short, Murudo was glaring at him. "Alright, I get it. Family secret, why not?" I said, feeling it best to avoid tension.

"So who's hungry?" I said, trying hard to changing the subject. Both Murudo and Guy lightened up instantly. "Now you're talking!" they said in unison. _Why do I feel like I'm gonna regret saying that?_ I thought.

My watch read 6:07, _I was hoping to eat a nice dinner with Mizore, but I guess letting these two tag along would be alright._ I thought.

Deciding to look for a good place nearby, it didn't take me long to notice that we were in China Town. "Wow, we were walking longer than I thought. That alley was at least mile away from here." I said.

"This place looks good." stated Guy. He was pointing to a two story oriental restaurant with a green shingled roof, red lanterns hanging out front, and a bronze dragon painted on the entrance. "Huh, never noticed this place before." I stated, trying to read the name.

"Can you read that, Mizore?" I asked. "That's Chinese." she said bluntly. "Aw jeez! I'm sorry, my head's not in the game right now." I said nervously. "It says The Just Dragon" Murudo said.

"You speak Chinese?" I asked. "Also Japanese, Loatian, Mongolian, Korean, and Vietnamese. Ember village contains many ethnicities, so it's natural as a servant of the Laison house that I'd know all the residing languages." he explained. "Impressive, maybe we can get a discount if we order our food like that." I joked.

We pulled open the green-painted doors and entered a rather comfortable looking room. It was brightly lit with hardwood floors and paintings of various landscapes dotted the walls.

"How many in your party sir?" said a woman at the counter. "Oh, uh...four." I said. She nodded and led us down the hall, but not before her nostrils flared and she scowled at me. _What was that about?_ I thought.

She led us behind a sliding door into a small room with a large table set up with four places. "This place is pretty nice, they really went all out on the decor." I said, looking at an oil painting of a green dragon on the wall.

We sat down and were given a set of leather-bound menus. I was a bit taken aback by what was on the 'Traditional' area of the menu: fish hearts, fried maggots, honeyed bees, blood sausages, etc.

_What kind of restaurant is this? I didn't know this kind of food was eaten anywhere in the country._ I thought, slighty grossed out. The rest of the menu seemed fine though: white rice, tempura, miso, etc.

"I think we should stick with..." I began. "We'll have one of everything!" blurted out Guy. "Yes sir." said the woman.

When our food came out I was overwhelmed by the 'variety'. Every inch of the table was covered up by plates of strange food.

The waiters left though also giving me an angry and disgusted glance. Deciding to ignore them I turned to the pile of odd food. "Why'd you order...?" I began, unfortunately both Guy and Mururdo where too busy scarfing the stuff down to hear me.

_I swear, you'd think they were preparing for winter._ I thought. "Sorry if this stuff is a little outlandish, Mizore." I said. "It's no big deal, this kind of food is pretty common in the monster world." she said, chilling a fish heart and then eating it.

"Really? Why would it be here then?" I asked, trying one (not half bad). "I don't know. Though it's possible the owner is from there, however unlikely. This type of food was even part of the cafeteria menu at my highschool." she said.

"So you're fine with this?" I asked. "Well, monsters do have a wider range of tastes than humans. You don't have to eat this if you don't want to." she said.

"Nah, I'm a pretty open-minded person so I think I'll join the party." I said, helping myself to the eel. _If she'll eat, then so will I._ I thought.

All in all the meal was pretty awesome, despite more than half was devoured by our two 'friends'. When the check came I looked it over, and if it weren't for my 'retirement' money I probably would've fainted.

Still staring at the total I spoke over to the other two, "You two better spot me for at least **half** this." I said seriously. When I looked up, they had disappeared.

"Oh that's just great! You order one of everything and then bail!? And when the check's this large too!" I proclaimed.

My eyes fell on the briefcase resting against the table and I sighed. "At least I know they aren't going back to Fairy Tale. I'm certain they'd want to give that back to their boss." I said in a tired voice.

"You** do** plan on paying **don't you**?" menaced a waitress from behind. "What? Of course I do!" I said, feeling a bit offended by what she said. _What is it with this place?_ I thought.

I paid the bill, purposefully leaving out the tip.

As we exited the restaurant I thought about what went on back there. "Was it just me, or did the people in that restaurant downright despise me." I asked Mizore. "I'd think you'd be more concerned with why Guy and Murudo ran off, or what we're going to do with that." she said, pointing to the briefcase in my hand.

"I wouldn't worry about those two, call it a hunch but we'll probably be seeing them again soon. And I think I'll take the sword to Yukari tomorrow, seeing as how she's a witch she might know what's up with it." I said.

"Well I'm sure you know what you're doing. I should head home, goodnight Jacob." she said. "See ya tomorrow, Mizore." I said. We kissed goodbye and left.

Climbing up the stairs of my dorm with the briefcase in hand I thought about how Lee was doing, "I wonder what dating a succubus is like..." I thought aloud. Whatever the case, hopefully they'd hit it off and I wouldn't have to put up with Lee as much anymore.

When I came to my door, something serious caught my attention; the wood was heavily splintered along the doorknob side meaning that my door had been forced open recently.

I yanked it open, ran in, and shouted "Who's in here!?" Something on my bed stirred and said "Could you keep your voice down? Some of us are trying to sleep." Guy sat up and got to his feet.

"What the hell are you doing in my room!? And where's Murudo!?" I said. My closet slid open revealing the tall man inside. "Lord Laison and myself don't have a current residence. Seeing as how we betrayed Fairy Tale." said Murudo.

We all sat down around the coffee table in the corner. "Can't you just rent out a room? And why'd you guys run out after dinner!?" I asked. "We don't have any cash." they said in unison.

"And you still ordered **one of everything**!?" I said. "We were hungry." they said.

"Aren't you practically royalty?" I asked. "I...I ran away." said Guy, rubbing his neck. "I went with him and didn't tell his parents because I knew that wouldn't solve the problem." said Murudo. "What problem? Why'd you run away? And how did you end up with Fairy Tale?" I said, really wanting answers.

"Let me explain: You know how the elder is head authority in Ember village? Well I was soon going to inherit my father's position, and I feared that anyone would be able to take it from me after that." Guy said. "Is there an assassination plot against your village head?" I asked.

"Not exactly, anyone who proves to be physically stronger than the current elder can overturn him through a fight. My father's the greatest warrior I've every seen, he'll probably be the elder for a long time if I'm not around." he said.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "He's the best possible leader for our people, I have nowhere near his level of experience or combat prowess. Due to tradition, he'll have to give his place to me in a few years. And once that happens, the first person to challenge me will become the elder with little effort." said Guy looking depressed.

"Is that why you accepted Xandlr's katana? Because you thought it would make you strong enough to defend your place as elder if/when you inherited it?" I asked. "Initially, yes. But then I became consumed by a kind of mindless fanaticism, now I think it's best if I just stay away and let my father reign. Even if I could defend my title, I don't know the first thing about being a leader." he said.

I sympathized with his position, being shouldered with that kind of responsibility so early isn't right. I sighed and said "Alright, you guys can stay here for a bit. In the meantime Murudo here should teach you more about fighting, and I can teach you how to be a leader." I said confidently.

"You'd do that!?" he said excited. "Hold on a moment. What do you know about being a village elder, Jacob?" asked Murudo. "Nothing. But I do know a thing or two about getting people to believe in and follow you." I said, looking out the window.

"But how?" asked Guy, intrigued. "Maybe I'll tell you someday, but not now." I said. "And I wanted a story." said Guy, pouting. "Just how old are you?" I asked. "Twelve." he said simply. "Yeah, that's what I thought." I said.

"Well, time to hit the hay." said Guy, plopping down onto my bed. "That's **my** bed." I said. "You've got a floor right?" he said, gesturing around him. "You can't be serious. Why aren't **you** on the floor!?" I exclaimed.

"Because Lord Laison doesn't deserve such accommodations. Personally, I am perfectly comfortable in the closet." said Murudo, getting back into his little space.

"I'd have chosen to sleep in **that** bed. But apparently it's owned by someone." Guy said. "And this one **isn't**!?" I said._ Uuuugh. Whatever, it's only for a few days. These seem like nice enough guys anyway._ I thought.

Being too tired to argue any longer, I got out an extra blanket and crashed in the armchair.

* * *

Well this is coming along just swimmingly! I shall commence work on the next chapter...tomorrow! Now I rest.

Update: My tool of thinking (iPad) is broken so the next chapter will take a few weeks. Sorry yall, I really am.


	31. Chapter 31

At last! It took frikkin forever but I **finally** got my iPad fixed and this chapter written. It's good to be back!

Here's chapter 31, enjoy!

* * *

I was once again greeted by the dim hallways of my 'dream house'. _Just great. Can't I have a dream about Mizore for once?_ I thought.

With an sigh I said, "Well as long as that wierd bird isn't here I guess I could look around, I mean this is **my** mind after all."

Walking those halls felt nothing short of bizarre, it was weird seeing my own brain portrayed in such a way. But as I moved further through the mansion I started to notice even stranger things: dark shapes moving in the corner of my eye, scatching sounds coming from the floors and ceiling, and a very disturbing aura polluting the air.

Then I felt a familiar intense heat coming from one of the doors, and I pushed it open. But what I saw wasn't that giant, fire-colored bird I knew from before. It was a tall man in a black suit, whose hair, I might add, looked like a bright red palm tree.

He was standing next to a leather armchair and staring into the fireplace with his back to me. "Felix?" I unintentially said.

The figure perked up and spun around. "Ahh! **There** you are old chap! Good to see you again!" he said in the phoenix's voice.

"Soooo, what's all this?" I said, indicating his new look. "Why this is human form, I thought I'd try it on for old time sake. Personally it makes me feel constricted and a little uncomfortable but I thought 'why not?'." said Felix, examining himself. He sniffed the air and put a hand over his nose. "I must say dear boy, you do wreak." he said.

That was unexpected. "What!? I don't think I smell." I said, but couldn't help worrying that Mizore had noticed.

"A few people **did** think so. Am I right old chap?" asked Felix. Then I remembered, "At that restaurant...but I thought they were just being rude." I said.

"I don't think they could help it, I mean that smell is positively **evil**. Must be something in your blood." he said. "My blood? That's weird. But no one other than them noticed anything." I said. "Oh I wouldn't worry about it, isolated incident and whatnot." he said.

Suddenly he gave the doorway a steely gaze and I turned around. Just outside the door was a squirming mob of small, dark purple figures. Before I could make out any discernible details Felix snapped his fingers and the hall erupted in a huge burst of fire.

When it disappeared, all that remained was a great stain of black ask covering the ground. I turned back to Felix, who didn't appear to be fazed at all by what he did. I stood in awe at the power such a strange character could wield like it was nothing. But I brought myself back to the matter at hand.

"What the hell were those things and why were they here?" I said calmly. "Well...to put it simply, you have several new residents in this mansion that we call your noggen. I find them to be rather annoying, but nothing I can do, what's done is done." he said. "Wait, what's here? What's been done?" I said.

"You're not ready to know that just yet. All I feel you should know is that those things are going to come back every so often and I'm **not** going to be around all the time to take care of them." he explained. "But why are they here!?" I demanded.

"They're called Ralgs, an unfortunate side effect to having high levels of monster energy. They feed on the excess power that wofts from X class monsters, like myself." he said.

Mizore had mentioned how monsters were ranked based on their level of power from F to S, so if Felix was an X class monster I could only imagine the extent of his power.

"Well based on what I just saw I bet **you** brought them in here." I said. "That's highly unlikely, Ralgs aren't something you can track wherever you go like muddy footprints. Nevertheless you should come back in here every so often to kill about a dozen to keep them from multiplying." he said.

"Uh, why?" I responded. "Because Ralgs aren't ordinary vermin. They're composed of almost entirely negative energy, and if allowed to fester can lead to unpleasant psychological abnormalities. Impared judgement, morals, willpower, etc." he said.

"So how **do** you kill them, besides burning them to a crisp?" I asked, pointing to the doorway. "Oh they range in size and shape so it could be as easy as stomping on a rat, to toppling an ogre." he said. "Uh, excuse me?" I said, feeling a little more than worried. "Relax, I bet it'll help sharpen your skills for what's to come." he said.

I blinked and said "Huh? What's going to happen!?" I hated being in the dark when came to danger.

"Oh, I do believe our time is up. Goodbye old chap! And don't worry about your friends noticing the odor, only an extremely acute sense of smell could pick it up." he said cheerfully.

"Wait, huh!?" I exclaimed. But before I could say anything else my body tumbled out of my armchair and I woke up on the floor.

I'm telling ya, face-down on the floor is **not** a good way to wake up.

_Just great. _I thought. _Now in addition to worrying about meeting Mizore's parents, playing 'matchmaker' with Lee and Kurumu, accommodating a twelve year old prince, schoolwork, putting up with a crazy super-powerful entity, not to mention looking out for Fairy Tale, I now have to 'spray my head for bugs' so to speak._

"When did my life get so complicated?" I said aloud. But then I smelled something delicious.

Getting up from the floor and rubbing my eyes I saw what appeared to a full-course breakfast crammed on the coffee table. "What the...?" I began. "Oh, you're awake." stated Guy, who I saw was sitting in my bed eating a fried egg on toast.

"Guy...where did all this come from?" I asked, gesturing to the food. "Oh, Murudo made it. In addition to being my servant he's also a world-class chef." Guy said plainly.

"You don't say?" I said, looking at the sausage, fried eggs, bacon, toast, smoked salmon, pancakes, quiche, and orange juice. "As a servant of the Laison house I provide only the best quality for his lordship." said Murudo, who I just noticed was standing at attention in the corner.

"Where did you find the time? Or the ingredients? I only had some soda and fruit in the mini-fridge, I don't even have a stove or cooking utensils." I said in awe.

"I've trained my body to only require one hour of sleep per night, as for the provisions I procured them by stealthily infiltrating the campus at night and using kitchens to create this bounty. Then I wrapped it up, took it with me, and jumped rooftop to rooftop till I came in through the window." he explained. "All that just to make Guy breakfast?" I said, a little disturbed by his commitment.

"Oh but not just for Lord Laison, for you as well Sir Jacob. A small token of gratitude, one which I am more than happy to repeat as many times as you wish!" Murudo said enthusiastically. _Sir Jacob? That's rich._ I thought.

"No...that's alright Murudo, if we need food I can give you money for groceries. But I don't recommend stealing food from the college." I said. "Alright then." came a voice nearby. I turned my head to see Mizore of all people sitting not two feet away from where I was.

_How the hell did I not **see** her there!? _I thought. "M-mizore!? When-how did you get here?" I said, extremely surprised but happy. "The window." she said, pointing to it.

"Ah yes, Ms. Shirayuki here was quite helpful in this pursuit, she knew all of the spots around campus where we wouldn't be spotted." Murudo said. _That's Mizore for you, my unseen ice goddess. _I thought dreamily. "Wait, Shira-_yuki_?" I said.

"Oh I'm sorry Jacob, I forgot to tell my full last name when I told you my real name." she said, appearing slightly worried. "No no, it's perfectly fine Mizore. But how did know to help out Murudo?" I asked.

"I was already watching you go to bed when I saw Murudo leaving. I asked him what he was doing and he explained, so I asked to come along." she said. "Why'd you do that?" I asked, thinking it was huge hassle just for a meal.

Mizore blushed and said "Because... I wanted to make you breakfast." Then I blushed, "Oh, thank you Mizore. That's very sweet." I said. She blushed a bit more and said "I also got to watch you sleep."

_And that's the Mizore I love._ I thought. Then the bed next to me moved and Lee sat up. "What's all the commotion? Class isn't for another..." he stopped and gave our now crowded room a blank stare. _  
_

"Uuuuh, what is **she** doing in here? And who the hell are** these** two!?" he said addressing the foreign occupants. "Mizore's just here for breakfast. But uh... these two are Guy and Murudo, they'll be staying here for a bit." I said, realizing how strange this must look.

"Huh? Dude this isn't a boarding house they're gonna need to find somewhere... is that bacon?" he said, now noticing the table of food. "And pancakes." I said.

Letting his hunger overtake his judgement he sat down at an empty space. "What's all this doing here?" he said, amazed. "Murudo made it, he's a chef you know." I said.

After about five minutes of digging in he said "Alrighff day camf stay." with a mouthful of pancakes. The rest of us joined in and ate until 7:12, when we had to leave for class.

Guy and Murudo stayed behind to clean up and Mizore accompanied me and Lee to campus. "Best breakfast I've had in years!" said Lee. "Definitely." I said.

"I'm glad you liked it." said Mizore, smiling. I smiled back, honestly it could've tasted like dirt and I still would've loved it.

"So how was your date with Kurumu?" I asked Lee. "It went great! I really think she's the one dude!" he said enthusiastically.

"After one date?" I said. _Like I'm one to talk._ I thought. "Yeah. I know people think she's a bit flirty and stuck up sometimes, but she's actually really sensitive and sweet. And I'd make the world spin backwards for her." he said with a smile. "Good to hear." I said honestly.

We got to the university soon enough and went to our first period classes. Luckily when Lee and I came in class hadn't started yet.

Yukari was sitting in her usual spot getting out her notebooks and such. She smiled as we came closer.

"Morning BB!" she said happily. I sighed and Lee was cracking up. "If I asked you to stop calling me that it wouldn't work would it?" She sat down and said "Nope."

_Eh, why should I care? If she feels the need to call me her big brother, I guess it's fine. _I thought. The instructor cleared his throat and we took our seats.

After class the three of us walked a good ways through the building together, since the mess hall was on the way to Lee's next class.

"Well I've gotta split so see ya, _BB_ and _loli __little miss_ _sunshine_."he said, jogging up the hall. A few seconds later a loud clang was heard followed by a "**God f***ing damn it!**" Yukari had a satisfied look on her face.

"I don't really think that was necessary." I said, looking at Yukari. "Oh please, you know he has it coming." she said. "Even if that's true, I don't think he can take any more bruises." I said, half-joking. "Remind me again why you hang out with that guy." she said. "It's a long story, I don't want to get into right now." I said. After all, how **could **I explain why Lee is my friend without mentioning the fact that I killed his father.

We had just sat down at an open table when I spotted Guy out the doorway waving his arms, next to him was Murudo who had the briefcase from yesterday. Then I remembered. I said "Hey Yukari, I've got to go take care of something. Save my spot will ya?" and headed off before she could respond.

When I got to him he pointed at where I came from and said "T-that girl... w-what is her name?" I turned around to see Yukari just where I left her, eating soba noodles. "That's Yukari, the witch I mentioned. We can get her opinion on the sword now if you want." I said. "Yu-ker-ee?" he said, his cheeks turning red.

He snatched the case from Murudo and held it out. "T-then show this to her and be done with it, I-I have to go... s-somewhere." he said. I took the case and he sprinted off, Murudo ran after him saying "Lord Laison! Where are going!?" in a concerned voice.

"Was he blushing just then? Whatever, can't think about that now." I said to myself, loathing an involvement in yet another game of cupid. I brought the case back to our table and sat it down.

"What's that?" she asked. "It's a case with a broken sword in it, but not a normal one. There's something... sinister about it. I think it's magic-related and I need the opinion of a witch." I said.

She gave the case a hard look and said "We shouldn't examine it here. Magical objects are often unpredictable and people could get hurt." I nodded and we got up.

I brought the case to the same empty classroom where Yukari told me she was a witch. I opened the case carefully and set it on the ground. Yukari took some chalk and drew out a small pentagram on the floor, putting strange words in no discernible language around it. She then dumped the contents onto the symbol while I raised an eyebrow.

"I'd be a little more careful if I were you." I advised. "BB, whose the witch here? This rune is used by my kind when we need to determine the properties of a special item. If this sword has any kind of magical nature I'll be able to feel it." she said.

Yukari then placed her hands on the sword pieces and the symbol glowed a bright green.

Thirty seconds went by and still nothing other than that had occurred. Suddenly, Yukari went stiff as a board and a black web of shadows was spreading over her hands. _This is like what happened to me!_ I thought. I jumped to my feet and pulled her away from the sword, which appeared to sever a kind of magical connection between them. There was a loud _crack_ and the weapon burst in flames. Then the fire vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving behind a puddle of amorphous material.

"Yukari! Are you all right!?" I said, shaking her. She was trembling and her eyes were shut, I grew more concerned. "Come on, wake up! Big brother's here." I said to her. She slowly opened her eyes and I let out a sigh of relief. "Don't scare me like that." I said. "Jacob..." she said in a very weak voice. "Th-that was dark magic, **very** dark magic. The kind of stuff we were told about as children to frighten us. It-it was...a soul, a human soul was inside that thing. But it was different, corrupted and malevolent." she let out a cough and said "I guess I over-exerted myself. I need a nap." she finished, falling asleep in my arms. _I'm glad she's okay, but I have feeling that this only the beginning._ I thought.

* * *

Looks like Jacob's got his hands pretty full. And their going to get fuller! See you next time.


	32. Chapter 32

I feel it necessary to once again apologize to my readers for taking so long in this update, the holidays kept me occupied.

Oh and in case you haven't picked up on this, I'm using details from both the manga and anime to make this fanfic.

I think I'm gonna start using more points of view then just my OC's.

Without further addue, here's ch. 32!

* * *

The campus clinic was extremely quiet. Mizore had met up with me while I was carrying Yukari and we came here together. I had told the nurse with long blonde hair that she had fainted out of the blue and that didn't I know what happened. The nurse then nodded and took her into one of the rooms. We sat in silence as I did some thinking.

_"Fairy Tale"_ I thought, _An organization that incorporates monsters and magic to achieve unknown goals. But it's not just that, Yukari said there was a human soul inside that sword. How'd it get there? And why? This is getting dangerous. _

"So what happened?" asked Mizore. "I asked Yukari to look at that sword we took from Guy. She was using magic to examine it when the sword seemed to drain her energy. I separated them and she passed out." I said. "Do you think Guy and Murudo had something to do with it?" said Mizore, looking at the room Yukari was taken. "I don't think so. They knew Yukari was going to look at it and they didn't have any reason to harm her." I said. "You'd be surprised what the likes of Fairy Tale are capable of." said Mizore in a mildly angry voice. "Huh? What would you know about Fairy Tale?" I said, surprised. "Me and my friends tangled with them before, like Guy said they're an organization made up of monsters and humans. They're responsible for holding my village hostage and almost forcing me to marry a horrid man. But their goals seem to be different from last time and I've never heard someone named Xandlr." she said.

I was flabbergasted. "You mean you've fought these people before? So that's why you're reluctant to trust Guy and Murudo. Hold a minute, why were they forcing you to marry someone?" I said. "Apparently their commander, Miyabi Fujisaki wanted a wife. Since our village was already under his control, he decided to just take one. Luckily Tsukune and the others were able to stop him before that happened." she explained, clearly this was not a good memory to recollect. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." I said, truly shocked at how much she'd been through. She smiled and said, "It's fine. It's all in the past." I smiled as well and said "You're right."

The nurse came out and gave us a warm smile. "It's sweet of you two to look after your friend, but you can leave if you want. All she needs is some rest." she said. "I guess if Yukari's alright we should head back to class." I said. Mizore nodded and we left.

At the end of my next class it was already the end of the day. So Mizore and I decided to go for a walk before checking on Yukari.

"Say Mizore, when's you're birthday?" I asked. "December 7th. Why?" she said. "No reason." I said, smiling. Suddenly a loud voice came out of nowhere saying "I **already** knew that!"

Then a dark blur ran right past us and stopped abruptly twenty feet away. It was a young man about my height with pale skin, short dark-blue hair, red eyes, a sleeveless jacket, jeans, an intricate tattoo running up his left arm, and a silver ring with an amethyst on his hand.

"Mizore..." he said, completely out of breath. "How do you know Mizore?" I asked. "How do **you**!?" he said with an angry tone.

"Hello Zayt, long time no see." said Mizore. "Hello Mizore." he said, still catching his breath. "This is Zayt Syroninn, we used to be classmates." she told me.

"So you went to Youkai academy?" I asked. "Yes, but... how do you know about Youkai?" he said, surprised. "The name's Jacob. Mizore told me all about the monster world. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of monster are you?" I said. "It's complicated." he said, "But that's not why I'm here." He turned Mizore and said "Mizore Shirayuki, I... I am in love with you!"

"What?" Mizore said. "What!?" I said. "I've been in love with you since the first time we met on the bus freshman year. I watched you for years not knowing how to express my true feelings. I kept my distance because I knew you were in love with Tsukune. I was going to tell you on graduation day but due to an extended stay in the hospital wing I wasn't able to. By the time I got out I heard that you were going to school in America. I would have come sooner but... traveling is very expensive." he explained.

We both stood there speechless for what seemed like ages. Until I cleared my throat and said "I hate to tell you this but..."

"I'm Jacob's girlfriend." Mizore finished. I shut my mouth and nodded agreement. Zayt looked at her in stunning disbelief. "Please don't think that your words meant nothing, they were very sweet and I'm sure they came right from your heart. But understand that I can't return your feelings." she said gently.

I could only imagine how Zayt had felt in that moment, to travel so far and keep those feelings hidden for so long only to have his hope dashed away in the end.

Zayt took a deep breath and said "I understand, unlike me he was able to express his feelings when it mattered. But before I leave..." he said.

Just then he moved his fist with such speed that it came within inches of my face, if not for my reflexes he might've broken my jaw. Then he took swing at my stomach, which I blocked. "What the hell are you doing!?" I yelled. "Seeing if you're able to protect her. There's no way I'll let Mizore go over a chump!" he said, making for another blow at my head. I ducked and hit him in the side. He barely winced at the pain and stepped back.

"Stop it, Zayt! He's only human!" Mizore yelled. She moved to intervene but I stopped her. "If this is what it takes for you to move on then I'll gladly beat some sense into you!" I said to Zayt.

We continued to exchange blows for the next ten minutes, at end of which we were both worn out and bruised.

_I don't get it._ I thought. _Zayt went to a school for monsters, so he should be beating the tar out of me. How is it that we're so evenly matched? Like Mizore said I'm only human._

Zayt's POV

_Dammit, how is this happening? A normal human should've caved long before now. All I wanted was to make feel helpless against the power of monster, to make him see that he can't protect Mizore. No more..._

Jacob's POV

"No more holding back!" shouted Zayt. He slowly moved his fingers toward each other and he pulled off the ring on his left hand. Suddenly his body began to pulse with monster energy. Ice covered his left arm entirely in the swirled pattern of his tattoo. Then his right arm received a layer of ice in the form of plate armor. The tips of his hair became iced over and the red of his pupils burned bright. A snowy whirlwind surround him and his feet froze over the ground he stood on.

It was then that something even stranger started to happen. My heartbeat accelerated at feeling his monster energy, my muscles tightened, and my body shook violently. I could feel something radiating from within, something powerful.

Then Zayt lunged forward and jumped away, but the jump itself sent me flying of the ground. As I soared a hundred feet into the air I said "How the hell did I just do that!?"

"There's no way you're just a human!" said Zayt, leaping after me. In the air he dropkicked my shoulder which not only hurt like hell but it sent me rocketing towards the ground. I covered my head with my arms to brace for a deadly impact.

At that moment an incredibly curious sensation flooded my body. My mind was suddenly taking delight in the thought of watching Zayt grovel in pain, to see him bleed all over the ground. Then I seemed to pick up speed and turn upwards from the concrete path. Clueless as to how this was happening I leaned my back up with the idea of stopping. And I did... in the middle of the air. I put arms down and saw how ridiculously far from the ground I was. I looked up then back down, nothing was holding me up. But then I turned my head and my eyes met the strangest sight of all, a huge wing of black feathers at least 10 feet long moving gently up and down was protruding from my back. I looked the other way and was stunned by the realization that I had now grown a pair of wings.

I remained in that spot for what seemed to be an eternity, watching the city at dusk and coming to terms with this new ability of mine. "But...I'm human." I said to myself. But was I? Since when can humans sprout wings?

Then I remembered that Mizore and Zayt were still waiting for me on the ground, however little I wished to face Zayt again I couldn't think of what else to do. "Now how do these bloody things work?" I thought aloud. I tried flapping my arms, that did nothing. Then I leaned forward, which bent the wings down slightly and I began to glide. "I'm... flying. I'm** motherf***ing **flying!" I shouted with an uncontrollable sense of glee._ Talk about a day going bad to great! _I thought.

I wanted to savor this moment so badly but I didn't want to keep Mizore waiting. I straightened my back up again which put me back in a hover position. "Alright let's try **this**." I said, moving my shoulder-blade in swiping motion. This caused my right wing to swing diagonally down and made me lose stability. I fell, somersaulting downward uncontrollable. Panicking, I moved my shoulder blades around randomly to try and regain my balance. This made me start soaring in random directions until I calmed down and straightened my back up again.

I hung there, quite a bit lower to the ground then I was but still up pretty high. "Alright so apparently these things are most directly controlled by my upper torso." I said. Then I decided to lean forward again, and as I glided I moved my left shoulder in slightly. This made me bank right. "Alright I got right and left, now let's try up." I said, moving my neck upward and my shoulders down. This made my wings push a gust of wind below me and shot me several stories up. _Guess I'll call that Speed Boost_ I thought happily. After going into hover mode again I smiled at the thought of dive bombing, which was stupid but the fastest way to get to the ground. Instead I moved my neck down and my shoulders up, which made me gently descend back to Earth.

It was indeed late in the afternoon so luckily no one was around to see a dude with wings land in central park. Once my feet met the ground I looked at my new appendages and said "Can't walk around like this in the daylight. Hopefully they'll wear-off soon, otherwise I'll have to find some way of hiding them." I thought aloud.

After walking for a few minutes I found the place where my fight with Zayt had started. I looked around and saw Mizore looking anxiously at the sky and Zayt (back in human form) sitting on the ground pulling grass frustratedly.

"Hey." I said as casually as I could. Both of them turned their heads to me, one displaying relief, the other intense conflict. Mizore stepped cautiously as if to see if it was really me, but then she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. We broke off and she said "You're okay?" I smiled and said "I think so." Mizore turned her attention to my scalp and said, "What happened to your hair?" I thought that was a very odd question. "My hair?" I asked. "Yes it, well... take a look." she said, holding up a small mirror. She was right, my hair had grown out of its buzz-cut to a medium length. And it had turned from dark brown to jet black. This was making things even weirder.

Zayt came forward, my violent thoughts only beginning to fade. He stood there in deep thought until he finally said, "Why'd you lie to me about being human?" I blinked, "I didn't. At least I don't think I did." I said. He gave me a skeptical look, "Whatever it is you think, no human could've come out of that alive. But you did." he said, putting out his hand. Surprised, I shook it and he said "At least now I can accept that you're capable of protecting her." Then he turned away. "What will you do now?" asked Mizore. "I think I'll stick around town awhile, after-all I did spend my savings trying to get here." he said. "So you've got nowhere to go?" I asked. Zayt smirked and said, "Well when you say it like that I'm kind of like a lost puppy aren't I? I'll be fine. Goodbye Mizore. See ya Jacob." And with that he left, taking my aggressive urges with him. "Jacob, your wings..." Mizore pointed out. Within a few seconds they had disintegrated into two piles of black feathers, leaving behind matching holes in my jacket. "Oh, and your hair's back to normal." she pointed out. I felt my scalp, she was right.

On our way back to my dorm we didn't talk much, I was just as blown away by the last few hours as she was. "Jacob?" she asked. "Yes?" I said. "Did you... lie to me? When you said you were human?"she said in a hurt voice. "What? No! No, of course not! I would never lie to you. I've been human all my life, this weirdness is only happening recently." I said, worried she'd lose faith in me. Mizore hugged my arm and said "I believe you." Relieved, I continued to walk with her up the quiet street. "So what was it like flying?" she asked. I smiled at the recollection and said "Words can only describe so much."

After spending a good amount of time explaining my experience in the sky, we reached the street across from my dorm with the big tree on it.

And as we said goodbye, an unfamiliar voice came from the tree. "Well that played out better than I expected." it said. We looked up to see another young man perhaps an inch shorter than me with spiky black hair, glasses, red eyes, a trench coat, dark pants, black gloves, combat boots, and an odd-looking knife on his belt. "Aeon? You're here too?" Mizore said. I sighed, "Another former classmate, Mizore?" I asked, really not in the mood for another fight. "Yes, like Zayt I came a very long way to express my feelings to Mizore. I arrived a few days ago with that very thing in mind. But I saw you two together and as frustrated as I was, I just couldn't bring myself to come forward. I was concerned over your character, Jacob. But unlike my short-tempered friend, I didn't have to fight you to see that you're able to protect Mizore. A word of advice though: If you want me to respect you, in addition to accepting you, do more than fly away next time." he said. I rubbed the back of my neck and said "Uh... sure." Aeon then leaped to a nearby rooftop and out of sight.

"Oh wait, we forgot to check on Yukari." I said. "Don't worry, I'll make sure she made it home." Mizore said. "Good, see you tomorrow." I said. And we went are separate ways with me wondering how things could get even more complicated.

* * *

Next chapter's coming up!

Special thanks to MizoreShirayuki11 (Zayt Syroninn) and 11rebla (Aeon) from deviantART for their OC's


	33. Chapter 33

Here we are once again!

I'm hoping to be a bit more consistent in my updates from now on.

* * *

When I got to the room it was 8:31pm, Lee was playing my old gameboy on his bed.

I sat down on my bed and looked around. "Where are the other two?" I asked. "Murudo said that he was going for a walk then he stepped out. Guy said he was going to the roof, oddly enough." said Lee, only glancing up from his game.

He looked at me with a confused face. "The hell happened to you?" he said.

Surveying myself I saw that in addition to the holes in the back of my shirt and jacket, my jeans, sleeves, and collar were ripped in several spots. "I was... in a fight." I said, truthfully.

"Really?" he said. "Well you're coming out of your shell more and more these days aren't you! Wish I could see the other guy!" he said, grinning.

"I think I'm gonna go look for Guy." I said, needing an excuse to leave. "Whatever." Lee said, resuming his game.

I climbed the stairwell up two more floors until I reached the roof. Opening the door I felt the night air and heard flute-like music playing. It was a slow, light tune and it was coming from the ledge.

Walking over I saw Guy sitting and holding something up to his mouth. "Hey." I said. The music stopped and he turned around, in his hands was a brown trinket with small holes in it.

"Oh, hello Jacob. I was just playing my ocarina." he said, gesturing to the small instrument. "Huh. Where'd you get it?" I asked. "It was my mother's. She was way better at it though." he said. "Seemed fine to me." I said, sitting down.

We quietly stared at the skyline for a few minutes. "You know, this was the only thing I brought with me when I left home." Guy said. "Why's that?" I asked. "It's all I have left of her." he said, looking down. _Crap, brought up a sensitive topic. Well, as long as it's out there..._ I thought.

"What was she like?" I asked. "Reserved, a little strict at times, but she was really kind and pretty." he said. I smiled, "Reminds me of my own mother." I said.

"Where's she now?" asked Guy. I looked down and said "She's dead." Of all my painful memories, that was the hardest.

Now it was Guy's turn to feel awkward. We were silent for another ten minutes.

"How's your father?" I asked, needing a change in topic. "Well, like I said he's the current elder. Probably gonna give me hell when I get back." he said.

"I still don't get why you ran away." I said. "They're better off without me." he said. "Now how can you know that for sure?" I asked. "Because I'm weak. You saw, even with the katana Xandlr gave me there's no way I would've lasted a second against a real opponent. If Ms. Shirayuki had fought back at all, I would've lost for sure." he said.

"I suppose, but you're just a kid. No one your age is expected to fight well." I said. "Not here, but in Ember village everyone must be able to fight. Of my age group I am the lowest ranked one among them. My powers are 'underdeveloped' as my sensei was fond of saying. What you saw in that alley was the furthest extent of my power. What good is an elder that can't protect his fellows." he said.

"Ah come on, you have all the time in the world to improve." I said, standing up. "You're just in a rut. It took a long time for **me** to become the fighter** I** am. Hell, by the time you're my age you'll be unstoppable." I said, giving him a positive grin. "You know it's funny, my father would say things like that whenever I got like this. I thought he was just humoring me, but hearing it from someone like you, whom I've only just met, is actually pretty nice." he said, with a brief smile.

His face turned down again, "But there's more to it than that. I'm smart enough to know that the ability to lead, the most important aspect of being an elder, is something you're born with. I'm not brave, I'm not strong-willed, I'm not charismatic..." he said. "Guy!" I said, cutting him off. "Listen, you said you wanted to protect your village, your people, and your willing to go to extreme lengths to do that. That alone, your conviction, is what convinces me you'll be a great leader. Sure, anyone can spout off words of brotherhood, security, and trust... But unless they're willing follow through with the words, that person is worth sh** as a leader." I stated, not sure if I was speaking to Guy or myself.

Guy looked at me, and smiled. "Thank you, my friend." he said. "Sure. I'm glad I could help." I said, smiling back.

"So... about Yukari..." Guy said. _Oh **hell** no! I am not getting into **this** again! _I thought. "Ohsosorrybutitlookslikeit'stimetohitthehayyaknow?" I ranted, pushing a confused Guy toward the stairwell.

When we got back to the room I laid down on my bed and sighed loudly, I decided not to tell them about my 'flying' incident. Obviously I wouldn't tell Lee but I figured I wouldn't tell Guy or Murudo either until I was sure whether or not my wings would come back.

"Hey dude I forgot to tell you, Kurumu texted me that she wants to go out tomorrow. Thanks again for hooking us up." he said with a smile. "Yeah, sure thing." I said.

Now that my body was fully relaxed, I felt a huge sense of fatigue. That fight with Zayt must have taken more out of me than I thought.

I reached over and turned off the alarm for the next morning, no classes tomorrow. And as I slunk off to sleep, another important memo surfaced. _Holy sh**! I'm meeting Mizore's parents tomorrow!_ I thought.

Miles away, on the rolling waves of the Atlantic lay a cargo vessel named The Marvos. It was deathly quiet, while minutes ago existed the sounds of crashing, screams, and gunfire.

A small girl with short silver hair and amber eyes walked casually among the bodies of fallen sailors. She hummed a light tune while maintaining a childish smile. In her arms she held something quite unbecoming of a little girl: an assault rifle. She wore a military vest just her size and a pair of fingerless gloves.

She continued to move down the lit hallways of the vessel, following a trail of blood that led into one of the compartments. She opened the ajar door to find a sailor, still alive and bleeding, crawling towards the wall phone. She stepped into the room and walked to the man's side. Then she put the muzzle of her rifle to his head, as he slowly looked into her calmly sweet eyes with terrified ones. Her smile did not shake as she pulled the trigger.

A middle aged man with a similar grin stepped into the room and folded his arms. He had steely blue eyes and a chiseled jaw with a black crew cut. He wore a traveling cloak and had a large scar running from his cheek to down his neck. He carried a long, blood-stained broadsword on his back.

"Now Naudia, you really should learn some restraint. I said **I** would handle the survivors, now you took half the fun out of this mission." he said, giving the corpse a good kick. "Aw gee, I'm sorry Mr. Lucius. I guess I got carried away. But at least we're done now." Naudia said in a sweet and girly voice. "All that's left is to move the bodies." said Lucius.

The cell phone in his pocket rang and he answered it. After several minutes Lucius closed the phone and said "There's been a new development in project Moses. Lord Xandlr wants us to go to New York, kill the traitors Guy Laison and Murudo, and initiate our role in the project." he said.

"Will I get kill them all?" Naudia asked excitedly. Lucius rubbed her head and said "Without question. But not right away, I myself am quite curious to see what the boy's capable of."

Back in Jacob's dorm room the boy dreamt yet again of his mind's house.

I opened the door to the parlor to find Felix once again in his human form and reading a book by the fire. "You knew, didn't you?" I said.

He looked up from his book, blinked and said "Knew what, old chap?" in his annoyingly cheerful voice. "Don't play dumb. You know everything that goes on in here, right? So you must have known that I could fly." I said, a little miffed.

Felix got up from his chair and said "Well I knew you were **unique** when I met you, but you became **special **the day you met Guy and Murudo."

I thought about it for a moment, "Does this have to do with that black stuff they put inside me?" I asked.

"Yes, indeed it does. Do you even know **what** that was? **Monster blood** old chap! And **very **special monster blood I might add, so special that even **I** can't be sure where it comes from! Rather exciting don't you think?" he said.

I did not share his enthusiasm. Far from it, the shock made me fall on my knees. "So that's why I'm **special**? Because the blood of a monster was put inside me?" I said pitifully.

"No, what's special is that you survived. You see, there aren't many individuals who can do that. Their hearts give out from the strain or they bodies can't handle the power. I was curious to see how your abilities would take shape, giving us some clue as to what you are **now**." Felix said. "So... I'm a monster now." I said.

"Well your most certainly not human anymore. But I can't say whether your fully monster either. Let's settle for half-breed, shall we?" he said, sitting back in his chair and grabbing the book. "On an unrelated note, could you check my neighbors and tell them to quiet down?" he said.

"I don't hear anything." I said. "You should know by now that my senses are much stronger than yours, now if you please." he said, gesturing out the door.

I stepped out of the room and looked both ways down the hall. "Which neighbors did he m-?" I said, tackled by several rabbit-shaped ralgs.

They latched on to my body and barred sets of fangs. I yanked one off and threw it against the wall, leaving a dark purple splatter. The one on my neck bit down and I felt a searing pain. I ran it into the wall next to me and felt the stuff cover my back.

The last one jumped off and scurried down the hall, out of sight. "What the hell!?" I said aloud. The pain was pretty real for a dream.

I walked a few feet down the hall until I heard punk rock music playing from a door nearby. I took a deep breath and turned the knob.

Inside was a huge, dark space. The only light came several spotlights that shined on a metal jungle-gym and scaffolding. I walked closer and saw that someone was doing chin-ups from the set.

The music was blaring from an old boom box on the ground. The man had red eyes, stiff black hair, a black leather jacket, black leather pants, leather fingerless gloves, and biker boots.

"Excuse me?" I said. He dropped down and turned off the music.

With lightning speed he grabbed my leg and swung my entire body fifty feet in the air. Before I knew what had happened I'd landed on ground, leaving a human-shaped indent.

I sat up gingerly, to say that it hurt would have been an understatement. "What the hell man!" I yelled.

"**Never** interrupt a man's workout!" he blurted angrily. With the kind of strength he just showed I didn't know if I could fight him. He grabbed me shirt and lifted me to my feet. But then he let go and dusted me off.

"Alright then, I already know what your name is. Odds are you don't know mine, though. My name is Wrath, learn it!" he stated, pointing at my surprised face.

"Wait, Wrath? Ah man, don't tell me you have six other siblings that live in my head too!" I said. "What? Where'd ya get an idea like that? I mean I have a sister, but she's a wimp." he said.

"Huh. So is that it?" I asked. "Yup, just the two of us. Well, three if you count that weirdo Felix. I'm where your strength comes from, I'm guessing my sister gives you resilience. In other words, I'm power, she's willpower. Easy enough?" he said.

"And why are you here?" I asked. "To determine what you'll become. That's all I can tell you." he said. "That's pretty vague, man." I said. "Look, I don't make the rules, I just follow 'em. Now get the hell out, I gotta keep up the pace." he said, turning the music back on and getting back on the bar.

I left that room with even more questions, if that were possible.

As I made my way back to Felix's door another piece of music caught my ear, it was a violin.

Moving towards the source of the music I came to another door. Beneath it shined a greenish white light.

After the door swung open, my jaw dropped. What I gazed upon was a forest, lush and green and bright like the sun. I looked down and the floor was grass.

It was something straight out of a story book, which seemed to be the direction my life was heading.

I walked into this new and fantastic room and wandered among the trees, which were tall and healthy. "I wouldn't have minded knowing about this place earlier." I said aloud.

"You wouldn't have been able to find it." said a girl's voice nearby. I spun around and I saw a young girl with gold eyes and short, silvery-white hair in a pale green sundress holding a violin at her side.

"Are you Wrath's sister?" I asked. "Ah you've met my brother. He didn't hurt you did he? He can be bit of a brute sometimes." she said in a concerned voice.

_I guess the apple falls pretty far from the tree. _I thought. "My name is Suma. And you must be Jacob." the girl said. "What did you mean when you said I couldn't have found this place?" I asked.

"Me and my brother's realms are only available to people in your situation. You can imagine that it's been quite a while since we've had company." Suma said, smiling. "And just what is my situation?" I asked. She giggled and said "Silly, brother already said we couldn't tell you any more than you need to know."

"Shouldn't I be the one to decide what I need to know?" I asked, annoyed. "I don't make the rules..." she began. "...you only follow them." I finished.

"Exactly. Now, looks like it's that time again. Goodbye!" Suma said, as the forest faded to black.


	34. Chapter 34

Not really doing the whole "consistency" thing with my updates very well.

Here's ch. 34, Enjoy!

* * *

Someone was shaking me awake.

I quietly grumbled and opened my eyes. It was Murudo.

"What's up?" I said tiredly. The clock read 5:15am.

"There's something I wish to discuss with you." he said, signaling me to come with him. I could tell this was serious, so I got up and followed him out the door and down the hall.

"Alright, what is it?" I asked. He looked at me and stated "I believe we're being watched."

"Like, right now?" I asked, peering over my shoulder. "No, but overall. In the last 24 hours I've spotted numerous pieces of evidence to suggest that one or more parties are keeping this group of ours under surveillance." he said.

"Could it be you're just a bit paranoid?" I asked. Though I couldn't really speak for myself, I too had gotten the vibe of numerous eyes tracking me. Something that was left over from my old line of work.

"I won't deny that the safety of Lord Laison has always been my top priority and has kept me on edge at times. But I can't ignore the facts." he said. "What exactly are you concerned about?" I asked.

"The Laison family has always had quite a few rivals and dissenters, but I doubt they'd blatantly move against the young lord's life much less find us here. My real concern is Fairy Tale. They are incredibly cunning and resourceful, they're also famous for not leaving any 'loose ends'. It's very unlikely that they don't know we're here, which is why I'm wondering why they haven't tried anything as of yet." he explained, leading me to a window at the end of the hall.

"Then you want to leave?" I asked. "No, not yet at least. I can't say for sure but I think you're what's deterring them from killing us here and now, Lord... I mean Xandlr gave you his 'blessing' whatever that was. I don't think they want to move in on us just yet for risk of involving you." he said.

"Which reminds me... Where the hell did that stuff you two put inside me come from?" I asked. I wondered if he could tell me something new about it, knowing it was just monster blood wasn't enough. "I must once again apologize for that unfortunate occurrence. I have no idea what it was specifically, but the consistency and scent was that of monster blood. I've seen enough of it over the years to know." he said.

We stood in silence for a few minutes. "And that injection was his 'blessing'?" I asked. "Xandlr told us to put the highest value possible on that syringe. Wherever he got it, I doubt it was good." he said, looking down.

"Just who is 'Xandlr'?" I asked. That was the real question on my mind, I needed to know more about this mysterious person who had targeted me.

"Fairy Tale's CEO, I've never seen him in person nor do I think any image of him exists." he said. "Then how did Guy get that sword? I thought he said Xandlr gave it to him." I said.

"We were contacted by a Fairy Tale agent, promising 'all the power we could ever want and more'. Guy accepted the offer against my council and that's how we joined Fairy Tale." he said. "While you were there did you learn anything about your boss?" I asked.

"The way my comrades talked they say he's immortal. I've heard him speak, ruthless and charismatic at the same time. More importantly, he'll do **anything** to achieve an ends." he said. "Like using human souls?" I asked.

"What?" he stated, with a look of surprise. "That's what Guy's sword had inside it. Whatever Xandlr did to put it there also must've corrupted it, along with anyone who came in contact with it." I said.

"That explains how he was able to reign over the young lord's mind. It's shameful that I could not free Lord Laison from his grip myself, instead I silently watched the corruption of his soul." Murudo said, pitifully.

"I always saw Guy as very important to you." I said. "I made a vow the day the young Lord was born to defend him with my life. It was made to his father, the most honorable man I've ever met." he said, looking out the window. This kind of loyalty was something that I was all too familiar with.

"That's why I left the village with him, if I couldn't convince him to stay then I could at least protect him from the dangers he'd face. But in the end I could not. **You** did, and for that I indeed owe you my life." he said, looking at me. "I don't deserve having someone's life in my hands, not again." I said sadly.

"You have a humble spirit, a noble quality." Murudo said, insightfully. "I'm anything but noble." I said.

"I believe a day will come you'll think otherwise." he said, smiling.

Looking out the window, I saw the sun just peeking out from behind the skyline. I truly appreciated his words, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

"So..." I began, changing the topic. "How does a wood nymph find himself in the company of fire demons? Based on your species I don't think your people got along too well." I said.

"Aw, indeed. Among the monster villages, Ember Village wasn't particularly well-liked. Fire was naturally seen as a form of destruction so that alone didn't earn them many friends. I was born into a settlement in the amazon known as Tree Village, it was paradise." he said, brimming with nostalgia.

"If it was so great why'd you leave? Change of scenery?" I asked. "Not exactly. You see, my people shared this same forest with a race of elves. A big 'family' of pointed ears you might say." he said, showing me that his ears were indeed pointed.

Then he said "We were always on peaceful terms with them, so we never anticipated what happened next."

38 years ago

Awakening to the smell of smoke, a seven year old Murudo got up from his bed and looked around his room. He lived in the topmost room of his parent's treehouse.

_Mother must've burnt the eggs again._ he thought with a smile. He casually walked down the stairs like any other morning, expecting to see his mother with a pile of blackened eggs and his father giving a hesitant smile to his breakfast.

As he descended the long staircase the smell of smoke grew much stronger, and he had trouble seeing. "Mom? *cough* Dad?" he said through the vapors.

He reached the bottom of the stairs, but the smoke was so thick he had to get on his stomach to see anything. Then he heard the sounds of screaming from outside. This shocked and scared him but he had to see what was going on.

Murudo crawled to the door and turned the knob, what he saw next was Hell on Earth. Almost everything was on fire: the canopy, the houses, the trees. Buildings collapsed sending debris falling to the forest floor. Arrow shafts sticking out everywhere. Bodies of his friends and relatives were strewn across the village, burned or impaled by arrows, and leaking dark-green blood. He tried to call for help but words escaped him. He sank to his knees crying.

He could just make out the shapes of people jumping from tree to tree throwing molotov cocktails. They spotted him and were headed towards his house. A bloody arm pulled him inside and shut the door.

He turned to see his mother, a vertical cut across her right eye and a broken arrow shaft in her left arm, she was covered in dark-green blood. "Thank God you're safe." she said, hugging him. "M-mom? What's going on? Y-you're bleeding!" he said, still in shock.

"Don't worry it's fine, but we need to leave. Grab what you can carry an we"ll-" she said frantically. "Where's dad?" Murudo interrupted. His mother stopped and began crying out of her good eye.

"H-he'll meet up with us." she said, sobbing. Just then the ceiling started to bend and crunch. She tackled Murudo and laid there on him as the ceiling grew louder.

A few hours later, Murudo regained consciousness. He tasted blood, and felt extremely sore. The sun was in his face, the roof had indeed caved in.

When his vision came back into focus he saw that his mother was still on top of him. "M-mom... are you alrigh-" he stopped and his eyes widened at realization that several very large pieces of metal were lodged in his mother's back, and she wasn't breathing.

He speechlessly wormed his way out of the debris and pull her free as well. "Mom! Mom! Please! Wake up!" he shouted. He shook her with all his might but she gave no sign of consciousness. Finally he stopped, laid her on her side and looked around.

He didn't know what to do. He was scared and alone, surrounded by a burnt wreckage and covered in his mother's blood. Unable or unwilling to do anything else, he curled up next to her and cried until he slept through the daylight.

Distant voices woke him at twilight. He quickly sat up and saw three men approach, dressed in red and white robes. Not recognizing any of them, he instinctually shielded his mother's body with a fearful look in his eyes.

The man in the middle knelt down a few feet away and said "Do you know what happened here?"

At first Murudo said nothing, being so freshly stricken with despair. But this man somehow inspired him to speak. He features were kind, but were also strong and had a worldly aura.

"I... I don't know for sure. I j-just woke up and everything was on fire." Murudo said sadly. "I see. And this is?" the man said, pointing to the body.

"M-my mother, sh-she..." he stopped, his eyes started welling up again. Then, the boy felt a consoling hand rub his head. "It's alright, we'll give her a proper burial. Do you have somewhere to stay?" the man asked.

Murudo looked around, and shook his head through the tears. The man nodded and "If you wish, you can come with us to Ember Village. You'll find sanctuary there with my clan. Don't worry, we'll look after you." he said, giving a caring smile.

His companions exchanged uncomfortable looks and one said "Lord Laison, this is highly unorthodox. You know outsiders aren't welcome at our village." The man looked at him and said "I'm sure they'll make an exception for the elder, don't you think?"

Murudo didn't know what to make of all this. He'd just lost his friends, his home, and his family all in one day. Now some stranger was offering him a place to stay probably far away from his birthplace. "What do you you say, my friend?" the man said.

Then resolving that he truly had nothing else to live for, Murudo nodded.

After burying his mother like they promised, they set out on horseback to Ember village.

* * *

And that's Murudo's origin, it's sad but that's part of what makes him who he is.

See you next time!


	35. Chapter 35

I'm back friends! Hope you liked the last chapter (little short, sorry), and hope you'll like this one as well :)

* * *

When Murudo had finished his tale, the sun was quite dominant in the lower reaches of the sky. Organic light had filled the grey hallway giving everything a sepia tinge.

"Why...?" I said, my nails digging into the drywall. I felt frustrated, why did so many have to die for no reason!

"The monster race is slowly disappearing. Humans have inhabited almost every corner of the planet, so there are so few places we can dwell in relatively large numbers. As I said before we were 'sharing' the forest with a race of elves. I found out sometime later that a new elf chieftain had come to power. He had felt his people deserved not just part of, but the entire jungle. My village was seen as an obstacle." Murudo said darkly.

"That's it? Some greedy f*** just wanted more land!?" I said angrily. Murudo put a hand on my shoulder.

"Calm yourself, your anger isn't going to change what happened. That lesson was particularly painful for me to learn. What's done is inevitably done." he said in a serious voice.

I took a deep breath. Murudo had been put through Hell and back before getting to where he was now. His friends and family had been killed and his home destroyed. He has someone he'd die protecting. He and I were alot alike.

"I appreciate your confiding in me, Murudo. I promise I'll do my best to protect you and Guy until your safe at home." I said, smiling and holding out my hand.

My reaction took him by surprise. "For a human you sure are positive." he said, returning the smile and shaking my hand. _Yeah... a human. _I thought.

"Also, I overheard what you said to Lord Laison. I'm truly glad that you were able to help him air that grief." he said. I rubbed the back of my head and said "That's what friends are for."

When we got back to the room Lee was asleep, but the smaller guest was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Guy?" I asked. "Where you'd least expect him." said Murudo.

He pointed at my bed so I walked over. Crouching down, I saw that Guy had curled up in a ball underneath my bed._ What is he, a cat?_ I thought jokingly.

After breakfast I headed downstairs. Knowing Lee he'd sleep till noon, and Guy looked like he'd do the same.

Already wide awake I decided to pay the library a visit, seems like forever since I last went there.

On the way I watched traffic pass by same as always, and I found myself thinking that while this world appeared as stagnant as ever, my own life was growing increasingly abnormal.

No matter how much serenity you think you see, there's always some kind of violent struggle happening behind the scenes.

"You see it, don't you?" came a voice that scared me out of my wits. "Gah!" I exclaimed as I turned to see my red-haired acquaintance standing next to me.

"Felix! What are you doing here!?" I yelled with worried surprise. He smirked and said "Oh come now, I'm simply taking a stroll. What are **you** doing here?"

"Yeah right, knowing you you're gonna get me in some dangerous situation for amusement." I said, agitated. "Now that **does** sound like me doesn't it?"he said, not quitting the devilish grin.

I was getting sick of this. "Cut the crap! Just tell me why you're here." I shouted. "Old chap, as I was saying before you can see the true state of the world can't you?" he said with a straight face.

I sighed, "What of it? I stopped considering the world my responsibility a while ago." I said.

Felix gazed up at the skyline. "You should know that I've lived long enough to know when things are about to get interesting. The pot's beginning to simmer, and one can only imagine how things will look when the it starts to boil." he said with an excited look in his eye.

I eyed him suspiciously. "Is this some kind premonition? If it is, it's a little too vague for my taste." I said. He gave me an innocent look. "You flatter me old chap. I would truly be **quite** the individual if I could see the future, yes I would." he said.

Then he sighed and said "No, I can only predict and foreshadow. That's all I've ever **needed** to do at least." I looked down the street, the library was right around the corner. I **really **didn't want him to follow me in.

"Oh, are you headed the library old chap? What a coincidence! I was **just** heading there myself, what do you say we grab some good books and sit down for a spot of tea eh?" he said cheerfully while pulling me along.

"Do you have **anything** better to do!?" I grumbled. "Not in the slightest." he said brightly.

I really **really **didn't want indulge his company any more than I had to, but I also wanted some peace and quiet more.

"Urgh! Whatever." I stated, feeling as though my morning was now ruined. Why was he even here? Felix had only ever made himself known in my subconscious, inside the walls of my "dream house".

As he dragged me toward the front doors I looked at his happy face and thought, _What are you up to? _

"Your suspicion is unfounded. What's wrong with enjoying a good book with friends?" chirped Felix. "Well, nothing but... wait, 'friends'? Are we meeting someone?" I asked. "Slip o' the tongue, old chap!" he said, giving me a guiltless smile.

"Why are you really here? **How** are you here?" I asked. "I never said I was confined to your mind." said Felix.

"On that note, you never explained how you got there in the first place." I said. Felix stopped in his tracks.

"That..." he said, his voice slower and more deliberate. He turned, smiled and said "...is a story for another time, old chap."

I can't say for sure why, but I didn't pursue the subject.

We crossed the lobby, not without a few backward glances from passerby's. Which was probably due to Felix's red palm tree hairstyle.

He purposefully led me down dozens of aisles, passed numerous reading spots, up three staircases, only stopping to tie his shoes.

We kept this up for almost fifteen minutes before I thought _Wait, why am I still following him? _"Just hold a little longer, we're almost there." Then I thought _There it is again, he answered me as he could..._

"Uh Felix, you can't... read my mind can you?" I asked carefully. "What gave you a silly idea like that, old chap?" with that perky smile of his. "Ah, we're here!" he exclaimed, rounding the corner.

He had led me to a large alcove in the corner of the third floor. There were five armchairs around a small coffee table that looked brand new.

But what really got my attention was that of all the people that could've been seated here it was **Zayt**. His silver ring visible against the cover of the manga he was reading. This space was somewhat secluded from the rest of the building, shelves were lined with large dusty volumes and it looked as though hardly anyone ever came back here (he must've wanted to be alone).

Zayt darted up from his chair. "You!" we said in unison, glaring. I wasn't in the mood for a fight, but seeing Zayt again so soon after our last confrontation was not helping my nerves.

"Come here for round two!?" Zayt yelled angrily, getting in a fighting stance. "Hey if you're gonna start something..!" I started, before we were getting our ears tugged on by Felix.

"May I remind you both we're in a **library**? Which is **not** a place for raising our voices or **fighting** for that matter." Felix said, letting go. "You two are not going to ruin my morning with idle bickering. You chaps are going to sit down like mature(ish) adults and settle this dispute." he said.

We reluctantly took our seats, opposite of one another. So that was it, Felix brought me here to talk to **him**? Why? The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"Whatever, there's nothing **to** settle. We're rivals, that's the long and short of it." Zayt stated. I couldn't say that I disagreed. Zayt did tell me that he **accepted** that I was dating Mizore, but by no means was he happy about it. Zayt **had** gone through a lot to confess his feelings and I really didn't know how to handle a situation like this.

Talking to Zayt was like talking to wolf that wanted to eat you, not out of hunger but out of sheer spite. What I couldn't put my finger on was why Felix even cared enough to set up this. I thought he lived for inciting conflict, it was one of the things that made his immortality 'entertaining'.

_What was his angle?_ I thought. "Don't worry about my motives, focus on the task at hand." Felix said.

"Stop doing that!" I yelled, only to be shushed by a passerby. Zayt was giving me a questioning look and dropped the subject.

A few minutes of silence went by.

"So... where are you staying?" I asked Zayt. "Like I'd actually tell you. I'm only still in town because I wanna make sure Mizore's alright." he said seriously.

"She means a lot to you, huh?" I said, resting my head on my knuckle. "More to me than **you'll** ever understand." he said, glaring.

Damn it he was getting on my nerves. _Who does he think he is? To just **judge** how much I care about Mizore like that!? _I thought.

I clenched my fist, which Zayt turned his head passively to. "Won't your... family miss you?" I asked, forcing down my anger. "Don't have one." he said casually.

_Man, I sure know a lot of orphans._ I thought. "I see. What about friends? You can't expect me to believe **no one's** gonna miss you." I said.

"Tsch. Friends are just enemies who haven't betrayed you yet. No one ever cared about me, so why would I care about them?" Zayt said, looking annoyed.

"Except Mizore?" I said, questioningly. He slammed his hands on the table and shouted "That's different!" in a very angry tone.

"Library~" chimed Felix, holding a finger to lips. "Who the hell are you anyway!?" Zayt said to him.

"A third party observer." Felix said. _Not so 'third party' of you to keep butting into people lives is it!? _I thought.

"I don't think my alignment has much to do with that do you?" he said to me.

_There he goes again! I hope he knows some things more than others need to be kept private._ I thought worriedly.

Zayt looked confused. "You just don't want Zayt to know you're meeting that snow woman's parents tonight, do you? Felix said.

Both mine and Zayt's jaws dropped. _I'll f***ing kill that bird!_ I thought.

Now Zayt just looked dumbfounded. I got the feeling that I should leave before this gets ugly. "Oh, you're not... **angry** are you Mr. Syroninn?" asked Felix. _Ya think!?_ I thought.

"I'm... not... mad... at all." he said, rather strained and unconvincing. As he said this the air grow colder and I could tell his temper was rising.

But there was something else: The sound of small feet, the bumping of plastic, and the subtle clinks/chanks of loaded firearms. Felix turned his head and said "Oh dear."

"Get down!" I shouted, pulling both of them to the floor. The roar of machine gun fire filled the building as bullets whizzed over our heads, tearing up the bookshelves and chairs. We laid very still, face-up watching more and more bullets hitting everything around us as Felix continued to drink his tea.

The spray stopped, I listened carefully and said "Wait here." quietly. "Like hell I will." said Zayt in a hushed voice.

We snuck up-to the nearest shelf and peered under it. I could make out a few pairs of feet behind a shelf several rows ahead.

"You go that way I'll go this way." I whispered, indicating my plan. "Jacob, no one tells me what to do!" he whispered back angrily.

"Just listen! I've done this kind of thing before. If we flank them we have a better chance of taking them out before they get a shot... off." I said, pausing because our assailant had just loaded another clip, they heard us.

"S***!" we said together, diving out of the way of another storm of bullets.

I was back in my spot on the floor next to Felix, still drinking his tea. "We could use some help y'know!" I said loudly over the sound of gunfire.

"If I use my powers to help you I'll risk setting the books on fire." he said simply.

-_- "The books... you're concerned... about the books. **In a situation like this!**" I shouted. He shrugged his shoulders and started reading a book that lay next to him.

Alright, Felix was being useless so I took cover a few rows over. I couldn't see Zayt so I hoped that he was taking cover as well or at least lying low. _Okay these guys don't appear to be trained, not well at least. They're firing at anything in our direction from a fixed position without regards to precision or ammunition. If they're not disciplined it should be a simple matter to scatter them, then I can take them one or two at a time. _I thought.

I dashed over to the bookshelf parallel to where the bullets were coming from and I rammed it as hard as I could. It tipped back slowly then came crashing into the shelf behind it. Which then dominoe'd the whole row of shelves and sent up a thick cloud of dust.

I ran to the aisle where I thought I saw the feet. I knew I had to take out each one quickly and quietly, the dust wouldn't give me very much time.

While searching for signs of the gunmen I came across something. A little brunette girl was face-down, her legs pinned under one of the fallen shelves.

"Oh my god! Don't worry, I'll help!" I said, reaching down and steadily lifting the bookshelf to waist level. She used her hands to crawl out, but gave no sign of anxiety.

Once she was out I dropped the shelf with a crash. I turned and said "Are you alrigh-?" but stopped short. There was the little girl sitting normally, but she had M1911 pistol pointed at my forehead. The dust was still thick so I couldn't get a good look at her face, but her eyes looked... lifeless; void of emotion.

I dropped to my knees. My breath was gone, my heart was pounding and I couldn't think straight, her eyes just made me... freeze. For something as innocent as a child... to have the cold eyes of a killer... my mind couldn't process it. Is this what it's like to not accept something? No, this was... fear. Genuine fear... something I had not felt in a long time. There was absolutely nothing in the eyes of that little girl and I couldn't do anything.

"Heads up!" came a familiar voice. It was Zayt, he had just kicked the gun out of her hand. But the force of his kick did something... unexpected. At the moment of contact, the girl's upper arm made a small 'pop' and went soaring until it hit the opposite wall.

Now I was just flabbergasted. If Zayt had actually 'kicked off' her arm... why was there no blood? Why wasn't the girl giving any impression that it had hurt? Then I had theory.

I grabbed the girl to get a better look at her face. It was... plastic; her eyes were made of glass and her cheeks had painted blush.

"It's a doll." I said, with a huge air of relief. "It's just a doll." I repeated, collecting myself. It wasn't real, and I could think clearly again.

"A doll with a **knife**!" Zayt exclaimed. "Woah!" I said, pushing away the doll and narrowly missing a swipe to the jugular.

The girl doll was holding a combat knife in her remaining arm. Other dolls were also picking themselves up from the wrecked bookshelves, many carrying knives and handguns.

"God I hate dolls." I thought aloud, getting to my feet. "Same. At least we don't have to hold back, right?." Zayt said.

"But we're still outnumbered. If we're not careful they could swarm... us." I intended to say. Zayt had already darted off to engage the dolls on the left of the room.  
I accordingly attacked the dolls to the right.

I grabbed the gun in one their hands and punched the doll, resulting in it completely shattering. It appeared as though these dolls weren't designed for combat. It felt as though even if I pulled my punches these things would still come apart. They must've be more of a 'single use' item, from what I could guess either as a hit squad or a diversion.

As I shot three of the armed dolls, I turned to see how Zayt was holding up. Quite well, even without taking off his ring he was pulverizing just as many of them as I was.

Meanwhile, on the roof nearby...

On a rooftop several hundred yards away, Lucius peered through his binoculars at the skirmish within the library. Then, shining a laser pointer at just the right spot he said "3... 2... 1... fire #1, Naudia." His little assistant happily aimed the RPG-7 in the direction of the red dot.

Later, at the library...

In the smoke filled alcove, Felix was sitting back in his seat, sipping tea amongst the wreckage like nothing had happened. "What a mess." he said to himself.

"You haven't changed a bit, Onis." said a voice coming out of the smoke.

A blonde woman in a white blouse and black skirt (and maintaining a rather unamused look) came walking toward where he was sitting.

"It's **Felix**, madame." he said, taking another sip of tea.

"So that's what you're calling yourself nowadays? You old parrot." she said with a smirk. "It really **has** been too long, Yule." said Felix pouring her a cup.

"I heard you were in town and I had to see what trouble you were in. **This** seems standard wherever you go." she said, sitting down across from him in a shrapnel-filled chair.

"Awfully knowledge for a 'school nurse' aren't you?" said Felix. "I like what I do. I don't need to spark conflict just to enjoy long life, unlike **some** people." she said, rolling her eyes.

"Spare me your condescension. You** know** this isn't like before." he said. "What about what happened **here**? You knew bringing those two together would start trouble, even if it wasn't their fault." Yule said.

"Well I admit if they **were** going to tear each other apart it would've at least been entertaining. But Jacob's not the kind of person to hold a grudge for very long, he accepts everything around him for what it is." he said thoughtfully. "Zayt never really did anything wrong, so Jacob had no reason to fight him. But he's still got a ways to go before the _grande finale_. Besides, Jacob was never in any **real **danger I made sure of that." he said smartly.

"You act like you know everything about that boy." Yule said, curiously.

Felix gave her a smile and said "Well I ought to, he's my host."

"If anything happens to him you will answer to me." Yule said in a serious tone.

"If anything happens to him, I don't believe I'll be able to." added Felix.

* * *

The plot thickens.

imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryi msorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryim sorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry this update took so long.


	36. Chapter 36

Hello again my awesome readers! Time for another severely belated update^^;

* * *

As I sent another doll flying against the wall, the air behind my felt chilly.

I turned around to see a line of frozen-solid dolls holding Tech9's, and a very relieved Mizore. "That was close." she said.

She ran over and hugged me. I was so caught up in the moment that I almost missed another doll running at me with a knife.

Mizore saw it first and pushed it to the ground with her ice claws. She looked at me and said "These are just dolls right?" I nodded and she split it in half.

"Oh, hello Mizore!" called Zayt, holding two dolls above his head.

"What happened? I saw you go into the library and I heard gunshots." Mizore asked. "We don't know, these things came outta nowhere." I said, turning to shoot at an armed doll across the room.

Then I heard it, a loud, whistling screech from outside.

Everything slowed down; I had heard a screech like that once before, from a rocket-propelled grenade.

My eyes darted to the wall, I deduced that it was comprised of dry-wall and wooden frame with a brick exterior, which the explosion would tear up and pepper the room with shrapnel. Mizore had, out of instinct, put up a hasty barrier of ice; but I knew it wouldn't be enough.

Completely focused on protecting Mizore, I grabbed her arm, pulled her to ground, and laid on top of her. With any luck my body would absorb the shrapnel and she'd be unharmed. I didn't care about what would happen to me as long as she was safe.

I closed my eyes. In that instant, I got another physical sensation similar to that of yesterday. My heart sped up like crazy and my body felt covered by something, I didn't know what.

Just then I heard an ear-shattering bang, accompanied by the sound of random objects being blown against the floor and an intense heat. But there was a distinct absence of pain, strange given I had never known an explosive device to **not** injure someone in the immediate area of impact.

I opened my eyes and oddly enough my vision was obscured by a large bundle of white feathers. As I moved them aside, I felt an unseen limb move as well.

Looking underneath me I saw Mizore, astonished but unharmed. "Your... wings are back." she said, blushing lightly. "I guess they are." I said, smiling.

I looked up to see the rear of a pair of leather shoes, inches from my face. Looking further up I saw Felix with his back to us, standing with an open palm outstretched towards an open view the city (the wall had been blown apart) and an accumulation of ash in front of him. The rocket had filled this whole area of the building with smoke and dust.

"Are you alright?" I asked Mizore. "Yes, I am. But..." she began, "..your hair turned white, and your eyes... they're gold."

"Ya don't say? Well, guess my powers were triggered again." I looked up at Felix and said "Thanks for shielding us."

"I only stopped the debris, not the force of the blast. You didn't feel anything?" he said, eyebrow raised. I shook my head and he turned towards the skyline.

Then I remembered I was still on top of Mizore. "Oh, sorry about that." I said. She smiled and said "It's fine, I like having you on top of me."

I blushed red and said "Oh uh, you're welcome?"

"You're kidding me!" called Zayt. He was a ways behind us, pinned against the wall by a bookshelf and looking at the two of us on the floor.

He angrily shoved the bookshelf over. "You okay?" said Mizore. "Yeah, thanks for asking." he grumbled.

Felix spoke up "Anywho... that rocket came from nearby, you should probably..." he stopped. The ground began to shake and I heard the cracking of concrete. "Earthquake?" I exclaimed.

Looking outside I saw saw that a giant tree was sprouting up from a manhole on the street below. It got bigger and bigger until its branches engulfed our side of the building and half the block. _Wood powers? Could it be... _I thought.

"The hell's going on here?" said Zayt, standing with us at the hole to outside. The wood of the tree was black, as were the leaves. I could also vaguely see a figure darting around in the darkness.

"Something's out there." I said. "Felix, can you... Felix?" I turned to see Felix slowly fade away into nothing, but not before saying "Oop, my times up. Gimme an hour or so." and he was gone.

"What just happened?" asked Zayt. "Wish I could tell you." I said, scratching my head. "Who was that man?" asked Mizore. "It's a long story." I said, not sure if now was the right time to go into a long explanation.

"You guys should make your way out the ba-" I was cut off by a mess of vines coming out of the dark. Before we could react they tied each of us up.

The vines pulled us in, under the cover of the dark tree. They stopped and we hung in midair, only able to see specks of light through the canopy of leaves.

A voice rung out in the dark, "So **you're **the boy I've heard so much about." The vines suspending me were cut and I fell perhaps twenty feet before landing on a large branch.

I broke out of my binds with the help of my wings and looked around. The light was no better than on a starry night, but I could see the figures of Mizore and Zayt still tied up above me. I flexed my wings and made an attempt to get airborne, but felt a solid punch to my face and I fell back down.

"Those two aren't going anywhere." said a man's voice in the dark. _That voice isn't Murudo's, that's a relief._ I thought. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you!" I said aloud. I never liked the thought of anyone getting hurt on my watch, but this time I felt something unreal, driving me to protect everyone from the darkness.

I stumbled to my feet and strained my eyes to get a look whoever hit me. _Still no good, but I'll have a fighting chance if I can coax him out of hiding._ I thought. "Coward! Fight me like a man!" I shouted.

"**How** one fights is hardly important. Only beating your opponent is." the voice answered. "So we're opponents?" I asked, receiving a punch to the ribs. "Obviously." said the voice.

My side was killing me, but I managed to get hold of his arm. It was under a cloak and felt extremely tough, so I could barely hold it for the second I needed. Making a swipe at him, my wing unintentionally followed. My fist failed to connect, but I felt something thud against the wing. I followed with a knee to what I assumed was his stomach.

Before I could topple him, he grabbed me by the neck and lifted me above the ground. Whoever this guy was he was wearing a long cloak, was much taller than I was, and strong, very strong.

While I struggled to breathe, the man said "You're strong, but not enough to impress me." and pushed me up against the trunk of the tree.

Meanwhile, up above...

"Zayt we've got to help him!" said Mizore, suspended and tied up next to Zayt. "Dammit these things aren't coming loose. Mizore, can't you freeze the vines?" he said.

"No. For some reason I can't use my powers." Mizore said, worried. There was a rustle of branches from above and a grey blur landed on a nearby branch.

"Aeon!?" they said together. Their old classmate stood up holding his rosario knife. "You've really gotta take care of these things yourself, but I'll make an exception this once." he said, swinging the knife too fast to see using the cable attached to the hilt.

The vines around them fell to pieces and Aeon tossed the katana on his back to Zayt. "You left that at the apartment. You're gonna get yourself killed one of these days." he said.

"Shut up!" said Zayt, unsheathing the silver blade of his favorite sword. He reached to pull off his ring, but it wasn't there.

"The hell!?" he said, looking at his bare arms. "It must've come off when I was grabbed." he said. "Something else must be suppressing our monster energy. Looks like we'll have to do without our powers for now." said Aeon.

Jacob's POV

I couldn't get loose; my vision was fading and my wings weren't responding. "You resisted the tree's effects longer than I expected, but now your like a salted slug." the man said.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "The darkwood technique does more than just create partial darkness, it suppress all monster energy within the tree's shade. That means you can't fly away." he said.

"So you're a monster then. But that means you can't use your energy either." I said. I broke his hold and made a jab at his jaw, Which was stopped by his hand. "I'd never need any to kill you." he said, headbutting me.

My head was killing me. I fell back against the tree and tried to ignore it, but then he started to repeatedly punch me in the face.

_This actually doesn't hurt that much, but I still don't know much more my body can handle. _I thought. The man howled in pain and he dropped me. Looking up I saw another silhouette rapidly swiping him with something small and metal.

His attention now on this foe, he almost missed the unmistakable form of Zayt running down the tree with something long and shiny.

Spotting him, the man slammed his free hand on the ground and more vines sprung out to constrict them. But they were ready, both using their blades to slice apart the vines. Aeon then wrapped a cord around him as Zayt came down for a killing blow.

The man quickly sunk down into the wood, avoiding Zayt's blade. The tree then turned to a natural brown and the darkness lifted.

Feeling my strength return, I stood up. As Zayt frustratedly pulled his sword from the wood, his hair and arms were iced-over. Mizore dropped down next to us in her monster form. "Looks like you're all okay, plus our powers are back." I sighed in relief.

Aeon felt the wood we stood on and said "Yes, a technique like this requires a delicate balance of magic and monster energy. The spell was a powerful one, and thus demanded all his focus. Trying to maintain it while fighting multiple opponents would be ludicrous."

"That explains why he tied you guys up before attacking me." I said. "So where'd he go?" Zayt asked.

He was answered by another explosion at below us that made the whole tree shake. It was thunderous and sent wooden shards straight up past us. The tree began to tilt until we knew that it was falling down. We jumped for it, landing about twenty-five feet onto the concrete.

"Now then, let's ramp this up a bit." came the man's voice fifty feet in front of us. The dust settled and we saw him, head obscured by a hood.

"I wasn't planning on fighting you all head-on like, but at least now I'm less restricted." he said, removing his hood.

The man had a tan complexion like Murudo, short black hair, blue eyes, a black scar running from his left eye down his neck, and pointed ears.

"My name is Lucius, and I've come to kill you all in the name of Lord Xandlr." he said with a serious expression and in a menacing tone.

"You're really taking us on? Four against one?" Aeon said, suspicious. Zayt pointed his sword at Lucius and said "If you've really come to kill us, you're the one whose going to die."

"You think so? Well then I can't make it easy now can I?" said Lucius. A strong gust of wind came and surrounded Lucius. I could feel an incredibly dense aura come from this man, which continued to grow as the wind grew fiercer.

His skin became swollen and knotted, and appeared to be changing into wood itself. He grew taller and bulkier until his cloak tore into pieces. Stray pieces of wood came and neatly morphed themselves onto him, increases his mass until he became one wooden behemoth.

His monster form resembled a wooden hulk, only more jagged. The brute pulled out from behind him, a long broadsword, proportionate to his size and slung it over his shoulder.

"I'm afraid your confidence is severely misplaced." said the hulking form that was Lucius.


End file.
